DRILL WELLS

Water Ambassadors Canada drill teams are involved in drilling shallow well projects. Our teams consist of 8 volunteers both men and women and our typical trips are 8-10 days long. The majority of these trips are to developing countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

Our drill teams attend training facilities at various locations in Canada and the USA. During these
4-day training sessions our volunteers are trained to drill and ream a borehole and install casing and plumbing exactly as they will be required to do on site in the developing country. All 4 driller positions are taught; driller,
assistant driller, tool pusher and helper.

An experienced Water Ambassadors leader will accompany all teams. While in country, fully trained, bilingual host staff will provide all transportation, accommodation, and food and will also make all of the arrangements with the local village.

 

 

 

 

REPAIR WELLS

Several trips each year are focused on repairing existing wells and repairing pumps and equipment. These trips tend to be offered to experienced drillers and those with mechanical work experience.

A two-day training program is offered that will teach diagnostic skills and repair strategies. There are a variety of pumps used in developing countries and we will teach disassembly and repair techniques using available developing world assets.

 

WATER PURIFIER: The NLI Water Purifier

The portable McGuire Purifier generates chlorine gas from common table salt (sodium chloride) using a 12 volt battery. These units can be attached to a plumbing system in a school, hospital or village. Injecting chlorine gas into the water is how most developed cities in the world clean the water.

Why Chlorination?

No other treatment has a track record that compares with chlorination!

Advantages

Portable: fits in a small suitcase
Simple: runs on a 12-volt battery
Economical: uses a handful of salt to purify 55 gallons of water per minute
Efficient: 1 unit can provide pure water to thousands every day.
Versatile: by-products can be used to sterilize medical instruments, disinfect floors and surfaces and make lye soap.

How Does It Work?

WATER FILTRATION: The Sawyer PointONE Filter™

The Sawyer filter gives instant pure water. It requires no electricity and is very lightweight.

The contaminated water passes through the Hollow Fiber Membrane, a technology developed for kidney dialysis. The PointONE  Filter’sTM pores are so small ( 0.1 micron absolute) that no bacteria, protozoa, or cysts  like E. Coli, Cholera and Typhoid can get through. Backwashing periodically as needed, is the simple maintenance required.  

Water Ambassadors Canada has supplied Sawyer filters in Bunia in the D. R. Congo.  
Sawyer filters are effective in a home, shared by several families and in refugee camps or other disaster relief situations where there is
some water available.

Advantages

 

• Purifies up to 500 gallons of potable water a   day cleaner than North American bottled water
• Purifies millions of gallons for about $50
• Simple design and fast construction
• Easy maintenance and use
• Completely portable
• Removes 7 log (99.99%) of all bacteria

 

HEALTH & HYGIENE

Over 30,000 people die every day from diseases caused by unsafe drinking water and the lack of sanitation or the understanding of basic hygiene. These people are focused on survival and providing the very basic needs for their families.

To those of us blessed to live in Canada it is difficult to believe that these conditions exist. Many people in the developing world bathe in, wash their clothing in and allow their animals access to the same water source that they take their drinking water from. They just don’t know any better.

Water Ambassadors Canada provides a 2 day training program that will equip you with the skills and instructional techniques to teach local women about health and basic hygiene practices that will benefit their families. Topics covered include hand washing, disease transmission, basic sanitation and the need to protect their clean water source.