Well, Well, Well



Pat Texidor

Nothing quite as exciting as seeing a plan come together at the last minute. I really wanted to see the well drilling rig work before we left. Todd Huemann, his son Elliot and Pat Texidor flew down last Friday from Wisconsin specifically to make this happen.



Todd and Elliot Huemann



The place we had planned on drilling at is Camp Calle, a CAM owned camp on Lago Yojoa. The only other well this rig had been used for was the well at SEBCAH. I can tell you this, any place where you can drink the water, brush your teeth with the water and shower without worrying about getting sick is a true blessing, especially for a foreigner. These places are also extremely rare in Central America. It has long been a prayer of Tim Nelson's that Camp Calle would have potable water.

We started drilling Saturday morning having got off to a slow start as I had to clean the carburetor on the engine that runs the HD pump. Almost immediately we hit a very hard rock of some sort. Progress was measured in tenths of an inch per hour. I did have time to take Pat up to Pina Blanca, a small town not far up the road. A worthwhile trip for both of us. Pat has a unique story, born in Cuba he speaks Spanish fluently. He and his parents left there when he was ten, immigrating to the States. This was his first trip to a Spanish speaking country since that time. I think he would be the first to say that it was an emotional time, bringing back memories of his home country. Watching him converse freely in Spanish made me so wish I had learned while young.

Arriving back at camp we found that we had missed very little. Eventually, we broke through the rock only to immediately lose all our bentonite in the hole. Todd, who is a well driller in WI, decide we should pour chips of bentonite down the hole in hopes of sealing up the well. (Bentonite mixed with water is used for two purposes, to give support to the walls of the well as it is drilled, keeping them from collapsing, and to lift up the sand and gravel created by the bit as it drills. This is done by circulating the slurry through the system.)

In the above picture you can see the whole process. Drill rig, HD pump, bentonite pools and sump pump.

Sunday we went to church and then out to lunch. When we returned we drilled a little more making sure we were all picked up before evening as the mosquitoes would come out in swarms right about dusk. Monday was our last day as we were all returning to the States on Tuesday. At 21 ft we once again lost all our bentonite. We dropped a line down the well and measured only about a foot of water. Not nearly enough to make a viable well. Todd said that with the limited capabilities we had we were all done. A dry well. Disappointed would be a mild word to describe our feelings. Tim suggested we stick the 3" sump pump line down the well just to see what would come out. When we finally got the suction started...the 30 gal per minute pump couldn't keep up with what the well was producing. We were jubilant! I asked Todd if it was a miracle and he said, "Well, kind of...for a well this shallow to produce that much water is extremely unusual. Something I've never seen." Of course the water still needs to be tested for potability, but even if it is not pure enough to drink it could be filtered and still provide plenty of water for the neighbors. VERY interested to see how the test come out. Todd and Elliot performed their own on site testing (being the professional well drillers they are), they took a drink. Me, being weak in faith, preferred to wait for the "test" results to come in. So, how about it guys...any diarrhea?  

Beyond the work it was a truly great time. We all worked together as a team, enjoying each others company, jokes, suggestions and mistakes as only guys can do. For me, having all this come together last minute was icing on the cake, just topping off the already sweet experience of two months in Honduras. Thanks guys and thank you Lord!

Photos courtesy of Pat Texidor

The Team: Elliot, Tim, Todd, Laneen, Mike, Pat. Julie Nelson is taking the picture. She was an important part of the team as she kept us all well fed and supplied with water.