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What Types of Water Well Systems Are Used by GFA?

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Gospel for Asia (GFA World) uses a heavy-duty handpump—often the India Mark II model. It is a human-powered pump that is the world’s most widely used handpump. The pump can be used on both borewells and drilled wells. This pump is primarily manufactured in India. The India Mark II was developed in the 1970s by several world organizations, including the government of India, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. The main goal of the initiative was to provide the people of India with clean and accessible water in their villages. The pump also needed a simple design so it could be manufactured in a simple workshop in an inexpensive way and could be easily maintained. An Indian magazine listed the India Mark II as one of the defining inventions of their country. 1 The durability of the India Mark II has been improved over the years since the handpump’s development. Considering that many community wells are used continuously during the day, these pumps need to be heavy-duty and able to ...
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How Can I Help Build a Water Well for Charity?

Your desire to help build a water well for charity is a noble one! Consider the following questions when selecting a water well charity. We’ll list GFA’s answers as examples. What is the charity’s overall mission? Discover the organization’s philosophy and mission. Do they focus primarily on wells, or do they have other ministries as well? Our mission in life is to be devout followers of Christ and to live lives fully pleasing to Him. God has given us a special love for people in need who do not know of Christ’s Love, and it is our desire to minister to them and help them through ministries like education programs, health initiatives and practical gifts, and through the spiritual transformation that brings about peaceful hearts, restored relationships and mended lives. We do this all in community and in partnership with the global Body of Christ. In what part of the world do they work? Some organizations work only in Africa. Others focus on Asia or other areas where clean water is in s...
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What Is a Borewell?

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A borewell is a narrow shaft that is bored into the ground 100 to 1500 feet deep. A 6 to 12-inch PVC pipe is used to bring the water to the surface using a pump. Bore water comes from groundwater that has seeped into the ground and is stored in underground aquifers. There are both deep and shallow borewells. In shallow borewells, the contamination can be high because the water is not protected from defecation, pesticides, pathogens, and other substances. It is often not fit for drinking without significant water treatment and purification. However, bore water may be used for other watering needs like livestock, toilets, showering, watering gardens, washing cars, etc. It is wise not to water edible plants with borewell water unless it has been tested or treated. Water from deeper, confined aquifers generally gives higher quality water; Regardless, it is wise to test water often to make sure it is safe for drinking or use in cooking. While borewells can be contaminated with natural sourc...
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Types of Water Wells

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The “watering hole” is an important location in most societies. Whether it be the water cooler at work or the community well, water sources bring people together. There are various types of water wells around the world—each type having pros and cons. Here are the four basic types of water wells Dug Well Digging a well by hand is the way wells have traditionally been constructed. When the water table is shallow, this type of well can still work in modern times. Oftentimes, these wells are lined with tiles, bricks or stones to keep them from collapsing. On the downside, dug wells can’t be very deep since the hole keeps filling with water as the digging occurs. Additionally, dug wells are not a good source of drinking water since contamination from surface water is likely to occur. Bored Well A bored well, usually with a depth of 50-100 feet, is made using a boring machine. Concrete is generally used to line the well. This type of well is susceptible to contamination as well as running dr...
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How Many People Lack Access to Clean Water?

If you’ve heard anything about water stress or a global water crisis, you may be wondering how many people lack access to clean water. According to the World Water Council, the number is 1.1 billion. 1 In addition, the United Nations estimates, “4 billion people experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.” 2 A recent study by World Resources Institute revealed “17 countries—home to one-quarter of the world’s population—face ‘extremely high’ levels of baseline water stress.” 3 What does this lack mean for the billions who suffer from it? Often, it means disease, wasted hours and decreased livelihoods. In developing regions such as Asia and Africa, many people rely on surface water from sources such as lakes, ponds or rivers that may contain fecal matter, arsenic or other contaminants. 4 Drinking water from these sources may lead to waterborne diseases, including cholera, typhoid, polio, diarrhea and dysentery. Every year, such water-related diseases lead t...
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What Are the Most Water Stressed Countries?

Areas with the highest water stress include the Middle East and North Africa, which have little rainfall but large, growing populations that are often densely located. 1 According to a recent study by World Resources Institute, the most water stressed countries consist of the following: 2 Qatar Israel Lebanon Iran Jordan Libya Kuwait Saudi Arabia Eritrea United Arab Emirates San Marino Bahrain India Pakistan Turkmenistan Oman Botswana These countries are said to have “‘extremely high’ levels of baseline water stress, where irrigated agriculture, industries and municipalities withdraw more than 80 percent of their available supply on average every year.” 3 There are 44 countries with high water stress, including Chile, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Spain, Turkey, Niger, Nepal and Albania. According to National Geographic, 14 of the world’s largest megacities are experiencing water scarcity. 4 A study published by Science Advances adds, “4 billion people live under conditions of severe wa...
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What is Water Stress?

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As you become more familiar with the global water crisis and related terms, you may be wondering, “What is water stress?” According to Merriam-Webster, stress is defined as a “constraining force or influence: such as a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part.” 1 In the case of water stress, the force exerted is the world population’s demand on limited water resources. According to MIT estimates, this stress, and a growing demand for water, could result in half of the world’s population living in “at least moderately stressed water-resource conditions” by the year 2050. 2 There are already approximately 4 billion people, or two-thirds of the population, who face severe water scarcity at least one month a year. 3 A recent study by World Resources Institute revealed “17 countries—home to one-quarter of the world’s population—face ‘extremely high’ levels of baseline water stress, where irrigate...
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