We talk about tube wells a fair amount (especially in Bangladesh) and we realized, probably not everyone in Canada has a tube well in their backyard. So, we decided to give you this brief description and diagram. Because, truth be told, tube wells are saving lives. Who knew?
A tube well is dug manually or with low-tech, easily portable power tools. Expensive, high-tech machinery is not required, making these kinds of wells a good fit for communities short on electricity and equipment. First, a steel pipe with a sharp blade is inserted into the ground and used to dig into the soil. After that, plastic tubes are slid into the narrow hole. At the base of the well are filters which strain out sand, allowing clean water to be sucked to the surface via a hand pump. And, voila! Clean water!
Most tube wells are shallow—almost two-thirds are between 10 and 140 feet deep. People can access water at any time from a tube well as a simple hand-pump is used to draw water into the tap—no electricity needed! Because the tube well is sealed by a concrete slab and a pump, the water inside is protected from contamination from animals and storm debris. This means the water flowing from the tap is free from waterborne diseases, meaning families who use a tube well don't get sick nearly as often!