Pump Menders

borehole #1 for the day

Because financial analysis and reporting is the bulk of my accounting work here, I rarely get out to the field. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to observe a day of pump mending out in the bush with our water and sanitation field officer, Ba Stebbin.

We drove about an hour-and-a-half to get to the three boreholes. The pump mending crew was ready and waiting. After their tea (40 large buns and 2 litres of juice concentrate!), they set to work under Stebbin’s direction.

grease me, please :)

attaching the inner rod to the bottom shaft

Pump #1 was repaired using new seals from a pump repair kit. After washing our hands at the pump, we enjoyed nshima and green vegetable under some scrub trees. Before leaving for Pump #2, Heather and I were each gifted two village chicken eggs. yum!

lowering one of the 11 three-metre pipes back into the hole
(I felt like one of Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne's helpers...)

and another...

with each additional pipe, the job gets heavier
pump mending requires teamwork

meal #1 being prepared

re-threading the inner rod

the chain

WATER!
(this borehole had been nonoperational for two months previous to this mending)

borehole #2

Pump #2 was a quick fix. Pipe #2 (there were originally 14 three-metre pipes at this pump) was worn through, so the pump was reassembled without the second pipe.

Once Pump #2 was repaired, we were welcomed into a nearby house for our second meal—nshima with vegetable and village chicken and guinea fowl (which is very tasty).

hallelujah!

borehole #3
pulling the pipes

Time was not with us (common phrase here…) as we made our way to Pump #3. We left after the initial diagnostics were completed. All of the pipes would need to be re-threaded on both ends! That’s a significant task, and the sun was already setting.

the mending crew

diagnostics.
how deep is the water here?

our trusty ride

re-threading a pipe on borehole #3 as the sun sets in the distance 

I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to observe a day of village pump mending.