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Prototyping a Well-Driver PUP (Purdue Utility Project) to Install Low-Cost Driven Water Wells

<p>People living in developing
countries or undeveloped regions often do not have proper access to quantities
of safe, clean water to fulfill their daily needs. Certain members of the families, often women
and children, walk miles every day to collect surface waters that are
frequently contaminated. To improve
water availability and quality, a sustainable mechanical solution to more
safely access groundwater has been developed.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>A well-driving attachment for a
PUP (Purdue Utility Project) vehicle provides a low-cost means for installing
driven type wells in areas of high to medium water table heights. PUP vehicles have a niche in developing
countries, as they offer impressive value and utility in comparison to other
powered machines. The vehicles are built
and sourced using locally available materials with basic tooling. A hydraulic post driver has been attached to
the rear of a PUP frame to serve as an impact mechanism, driving a well point
and a series of inter-connecting pipes to serve as a permanent casing for the
well. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Water wells were tested at four
different test sites around central Indiana, with the deepest well reaching 23
feet. This suggests that the Well-Driver
PUP can install driven water wells in areas of medium to high water tables and
may be suitable for a development setting.
Water wells can be installed on a communal basis, thus providing an
increased level of hygiene and standards of living. Low-cost driven water wells will provide a
drinking water supply that is better protected than a hand-dug well and will
reduce the likelihood of disease caused by waterborne pathogens. Development of the Well-Driver PUP prototype
and its applications will be discussed.</p>

  1. 10.25394/pgs.8038991.v1
Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/8038991
Date11 June 2019
CreatorsZackariah J Horn (6632300)
Source SetsPurdue University
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, Thesis
RightsCC BY 4.0
Relationhttps://figshare.com/articles/Prototyping_a_Well-Driver_PUP_Purdue_Utility_Project_to_Install_Low-Cost_Driven_Water_Wells/8038991

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