The Village Drill

WHOlives.org and A Better Drill Inc.

The Village Drill is a human-powered drill for installing boreholes in remote locations.

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
Feedback

Product description Brand name and product description

The Village Drill is a human-powered drill designed for drilling boreholes to create access to water. The Village Drill can create boreholes up to 20 cm diameters and 90 m deep, and can easily be disassembled for transport and re-use.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Worldwide

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

The Village Drill technology is distributed through WHOlives.org and A Better Drill Inc.

Implementing organizations include World Vision, Samaritan Purse, and Rotary International, among others.

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

USD 22500 excluding tax and shipping charges

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Diesel powered portable drill rigs, hand digging, Eijkelkamp hand-auger drill kits

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Village communities, schools, religious institutions, NGOs, entrepreneurs and health clinics without access to safe water.

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

The product is currently manufactured in Utah, USA.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Patented

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

Users can contact the manufacturer and request a quote. The Village Drill is typically operated by 6 young men and women. WHOlives.org has launched a donation model that funds the purchase of a Village Drill for an entrepreneur and the entrepreneur slowly pays back the donor as they collect drilling fees from communities.

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

60 drills in 23 countries

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Borehole size (cm)

Diameter of the borehole, measured in centimeters

10.16 - 20.32 cm

Maximum well depth (m)

Maximum drilling depth, measured in meters

90 m

Drilling speed (m/day)

Drilling speed, measured in meters per 8-hour day

45 m/day

Materials included

List of materials included in this service/product

Unknown

Expertise and additional materials required

List of materials and expertise required for operation

Safety equipments, Labor

Project time (hrs)

Time required for borehole construction, measured in hours

24 - 72 hrs

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

The Village Drill is designed to drill a 6” – 8” borehole at depths up to 90 meters. It is claimed to drill through most soil types including light to medium grade rock and clay. ^Interview ^with ^{representative}

The drilling method used is a rotary “wet drill” process which allows quick boring and removal of cuttings as the borehole is drilled.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Technical product specifications available.

Shipping crate dimensions are:

1. 96 x 52 x 37 in — 1,850 lbs
2. 42 x 38 x 24 in — 855 lbs

Technical support Technical support provided by

WHOlives.org provides technical support through written, video, and in-person help. ^Interview ^with ^{representative}

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

By design, the Village Drill has few moving or wearable parts available online by the manufacturer. On-site maintenance is possible with basic knowledge and commonly available tools. ^Interview ^with^{representative}

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

The Village Drill designers claim that it will provide years of uninterrupted service.

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

The drill covers 75% more area for 75% less cost than a typical drill rig.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Unknown

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Brigham Young University and World Vision

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

No hazards listed

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

None

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

Pack, A.T. and Mattson, C.A., An Assessment of Village Drill Sustainability, With Recommendations, ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Cleveland, OH, USA, August 6-9, 2017.

Mattson, C.A, Wood, A.E and Renouard, J. Village Drill: A Case Study in Engineering for Global Development, With Five Years of Data Post Market-Introduction, ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Charlotte, NC, USA, August 21-24, 2016.

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

The drill bits and swivels used in the Village Drill design are purchased as commercial-grade and certified to international standards. No further known standard cited by the Village Drill designers. Designs of manually drilled boreholes vary between and within countries. African countries that provide key official parameters or where standards have been set include Chad, Guinea, Nigeria and Kenya. A comprehensive overview of specifications for Manually Drilled Wells and standards is available in the RWSN Manual Drilling Compendium (2015).

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Field trials. The manufacturer cites cost vs. capabilities vs. sustainability as criteria for evaluation.

Other information

Design For The Developing World: Christopher Mattson at TEDxBYU

Village Drill Blog

In context photographs (0)

You can use the form below to contribute a photo of this product.

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors

Please let us know your experience in using this product through comments below.

Snapshot

Product description Brand name and product description

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Worldwide

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

The Village Drill technology is distributed through WHOlives.org and A Better Drill Inc.

Implementing organizations include World Vision, Samaritan Purse, and Rotary International, among others.

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

USD 22500 excluding tax and shipping charges

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Diesel powered portable drill rigs, hand digging, Eijkelkamp hand-auger drill kits

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Village communities, schools, religious institutions, NGOs, entrepreneurs and health clinics without access to safe water.

Manufacturing & delivery

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

The product is currently manufactured in Utah, USA.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

Patented

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

60 drills in 23 countries

Performance & use

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Borehole size (cm)

Diameter of the borehole, measured in centimeters

10.16 - 20.32 cm

Maximum well depth (m)

Maximum drilling depth, measured in meters

90 m

Drilling speed (m/day)

Drilling speed, measured in meters per 8-hour day

45 m/day

Materials included

List of materials included in this service/product

Unknown

Expertise and additional materials required

List of materials and expertise required for operation

Safety equipments, Labor

Project time (hrs)

Time required for borehole construction, measured in hours

24 - 72 hrs

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

The drilling method used is a rotary “wet drill” process which allows quick boring and removal of cuttings as the borehole is drilled.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Technical product specifications available.

Shipping crate dimensions are:

1. 96 x 52 x 37 in — 1,850 lbs
2. 42 x 38 x 24 in — 855 lbs

Technical support Technical support provided by

WHOlives.org provides technical support through written, video, and in-person help. ^Interview ^with ^{representative}

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

The Village Drill designers claim that it will provide years of uninterrupted service.

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

The drill covers 75% more area for 75% less cost than a typical drill rig.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Unknown

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Brigham Young University and World Vision

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

No hazards listed

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

None

Research & standards

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Field trials. The manufacturer cites cost vs. capabilities vs. sustainability as criteria for evaluation.

Other information

Design For The Developing World: Christopher Mattson at TEDxBYU

Village Drill Blog

Feedback

In context photographs (0)

You can use the form below to contribute a photo of this product.

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors

Please let us know your experience in using this product through comments below.

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The Village Drill

WHOlives.org and A Better Drill Inc.

In context photographs (0)

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors