March 16th Dogon Dutse Guesthouse and Bats, Bats and more Bats

I had breakfast of oatmeal, toast and tea. While eating Pastor Amson called to tell me he was coming with a member of his church who works for a driller and could familiarize us with the drillers and part supply in the area. They arrived as I was finishing the last piece of toast.

The driller, Michael Josiah Sande, is a partner in the company Supel Jos. They have 2 drill rigs, 4 compressors, and their own equipment and staff to perform geo-physical surveys. He has over 15 years of drilling experience working for European and Nigerian companies. They only drill after they have completed a geo-physical survey. All of the area from Jos to Gombe is primarily “basement complex”. Boreholes with an Afridev pump installed run between 500,000 to 570,000 Naira and are normally 25 to 40 meters deep. He told us that there are few drillers in Bauchi and Gombe area. They mostly hire drillers from Jos. There are many drillers in Jos. Due to the current security situation they are not drilling in Bauchi city but will go up to the edge of the city. His company is one of the drillers that have contracted for UNICEF.

As for the availability of pump parts He told us that you can buy any pumps or parts you need in Jos but they are expensive. In Jos you pay 70,000 Naria for a Afridev pump. He has a supplier in Kano who will ship a pump down to Jos for 60,000 Naira.

I am happy to see that they are using the Afridev pump. It is a little more expensive than the India Mark II that is the common pump in Adamawa. But it is a stronger pump with less parts, the handle is adjustable for the depth of water in the borehole and it is easier to maintain. A person in the village with a two simple inexpensive tools can pull the foot valve and piston without removing the riser pipes. Replacement of the leathers and gaskets on the foot valve and piston are the most common repairs made to a pump. The India Mark II takes a team to repair the pump. To get to the foot valve and piston the riser pipes with the cylinder attached have to be removed from the borehole. If the foot valve does not leak and the steel riser pipe does not have leaks the pipes will be full of water adding to the weight. With a deep borehole it takes three men to lift the pipes and the job can be dangerous. Once above ground it the cylinder has to be disassembled to get remove the piston and foot valve.

Another problem that is solved by using the Afridev pump is that the riser pipes are made of PVC with stainless steel fittings. We have been finding the galvanized steel riser pipes used in Adamawa have rusted through and have to be replaced. In one borehole last year we replaced more than half of the riser pipes. The piston was in pretty good shape but more water was leaking out of the riser pipe than reached the top. The people had to pump hard to get little water.

Borehole with electric pump.

Yakubu Bulama, the Water Projects Director, had also asked me to look into the pump problems they were having at the guest house. The water and other programs that I have been working with have emphasized self reliance. I started the discussion of the guest house water before Michael had left. Pastor Ansom explained the situation that they had two boreholes drilled in 2004. One did not have enough water for an electric pump so they installed an Afridev hand pump. Michael had fixed the Afridev last year and trained the maintenance man in routine maintenance and repair. The other borehole had an electric pump that pumped water up to the storage tanks above the guest house. The pump is operated manually. In the dry season the pump run dry and if the operator does not shut it down soon enough it can burn out the motor. Pastor Amson has had the motor rewound before and was wondering if a hand pump could be installed. Michael said it could be done but it would be less expensive to install a pump that has a low water shut-off and overheating protections with a new controller. He said that the cost would be between 45,000 and 50,000 Naira. The Afridev would be 60,000 Naria plus the cost of the riser pipes and the building of concrete platform. Pastor Amson also took us to the pump in one of his hand dug wells that also supplies water to the storage tanks was not working. Michael suggested that the controller may be the problem here and not the pump. The guest house maintenance man who also operated the water system came over with his tools and they determined there was power going to the motor. The motor was trying to spin the impeller but was just torqueing the riser pipe. We pulled the pump and cleaned debris from the screen and from behind the screen. After reinstalling the pump in the well, the motor ran and pumped water. To keep this well operating a float system that turns the pump off before air and any floating debris can enter, should be installed. Michael said that float switches are available in Jos. Also, Michael suggested that the well should be cleaned and chlorinated. A better cover needs to be installed that will decrease the amount of insects and other debris from entering the well.

Clinton and Pastor Ansom

At 5PM Pastor Ansom stopped by with Clinton the guard dog. This picture does not show how large Clinton is. In the daylight he is menacing in the dark he must look like a monster. People do not go outside after 10 PM when Clinton is working. Later in the evening as I was waiting for the bookkeeper to pay my bill bats started to appear out of the haze of the Harmattan dust. First there were a few merging out of the haze and blending back into as they head for their hunting grounds. As I stood there the few became dozens and then more then more than I could count. Wave after wave of bats continued for the next half hour. They were still zooming over when I was driven inside by the mosquitoes.