Technical Info
All wells are constructed using manual labor. This provides employment for at least three workers per well drilled. We currently use two freelance contractors who drill and manage a small team. Mr. Youm has been drilling wells for over 20 years. Mr. Samnang has been drilling for over seven years. We are fortunate that his uncle is the Director of the Department of Rural Development for Siem Reap Province, who has also collected water samples for testing to ensure the water is safe for human consumption.
We are asked why these wells were built specifically for families rather than as communal wells. Usually, a communal well is constructed as an open water well. These wells are relatively shallow compared with mechanical-pump water wells. They also generally cost more to dig and build. Villagers aren’t generally too fond of them for a number of reasons:
- Disabled and elderly villagers find them harder to use as it requires more manpower/strength
- It can be dangerous and fatal for little children
- The water isn't always clear or is murky due to the soil and shallowness
- Even after boiling the water, it still isn’t consumable because it crystallizes.
