RT Journal Article
T1 Manual Borehole Drilling as a Cost-Effective Solution for Drinking Water Access in Low-Income Contexts
A1 Martínez Santos, Pedro
A1 Martín Loeches, Miguel Martín
A1 Díaz Alcaide, Silvia
A1 Danert, Kerstin
AB Water access remains a challenge in rural areas of low-income countries. Manual drilling technologies have the potential to enhance water access by providing a low cost drinking water alternative for communities in low and middle income countries. This paper provides an overview of the main successes and challenges experienced by manual boreholes in the last two decades. A review of the existing methods is provided, discussing their advantages and disadvantages and comparing their potential against alternatives such as excavated wells and mechanized boreholes. Manual boreholes are found to be a competitive solution in relatively soft rocks, such as unconsolidated sediments and weathered materials, as well as and in hydrogeological settings characterized by moderately shallow water tables. Ensuring professional workmanship, the development of regulatory frameworks, protection against groundwater pollution and standards for quality assurance rank among the main challenges for the future.
PB MDPI
SN 2073-4441, ESSN: 2073-4441
YR 2020
FD 2020
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/6428
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/6428
LA eng
NO Agencia Española de Cooperación al Desarrollo
DS Docta Complutense
RD 5 may 2025