Pump Wells

Using a pump well!

The cost of drilling and constructing a pump well is $170 USD. Wells are greatly needed in the Cambodian countryside. Until more are constructed, villagers must transport their water over long distances and, generally, from deep unsanitary holes in the ground.

In areas new to the Trailblazer Foundation, wells are drilled in April, May and June. These are the months when the dry season is at its peak and wells can be drilled to depths of aproximately 30 meters, sufficient enough for guaranteeing year-round water supplies.

Having a pump well remedies the initial problem: access to water. Once villagers have a convenient and ample water supply they can begin to think beyond the basics.

When a water supply is guaranteed, greater life-sustaining capabilities are possible including the ability to irrigate gardens and create fish ponds. With just that, villagers are able to improve their food supply, their diet, their health, and, ultimately, the opportunity to generate new income from the sale of excess provisions.

It is the goal of the Trailblazer Foundation that one in every 3 to 5 rural families be provided a well as a consistent source of water and a bio-sand water filter to ensure that it is potable. To accomplish this goal, the Trailblazer Foundation has been drilling and installing wells since 2005 in strategic locations throughout Siem Reap Province in Cambodia.

As of January 2008, Trailblazers own well-drilling crew, trained by the Sras well-drilling team and an experienced local well driller—have been hard at work. Between the Sras and Trailblazer well drilling teams, nearly 200 wells have successfully been installed, and there is a steady schedule for more!