Drilling for water in Indonesia and Mozambique
The two drilling rigs were purchased by the Norwegian Red Cross with the support of DNV and form part of the Red Cross Emergency Response Units that were developed in 2004 with assistance from DNV water specialists.
Difficult start in Aceh, Indonesia
Coastal areas of Aceh in Indonesia were devastated by the December 2004 tsunami. Since the autumn of 2005, the Norwegian Red Cross has drilled wells in these areas in order to provide tsunami victims with clean drinking water:
- 36 successful wells have been drilled
These wells give approximately 20,000 people access to clean drinking water
The geology of the area and intrusion of salt water into the ground water posed challenges for the Red Cross drilling team. In the early stages, 26 drilled wells had either salty water or too little water and turned out to be failures. The wells gradually became more successful due to the drilling team's hard work and increased experience of the local conditions.
Making big difference in Mozambique
For many people living in the Nampala district on the coast of Mozambique, water is a scarcity. They need to walk long distances to get to the nearest source of surface water. The Norwegian Red Cross is drilling wells in this area to provide drinking water to these communities. The project is being carried out in cooperation with the local Red Cross and with the support of Nestlé.
The drilling rig arrived in Nampula early in September 2006. The drilling team, consisting of local Red Cross members, was trained by mid-September and drilling started shortly afterwards. These efforts have already made a big difference to people's lives:
- Seven of a total of 11 wells drilled have been successful
- These wells give approximately 4,400 people access to water
The drilling rig can drill through both soil and rock down to depths of approximately 100 metres. The rig is mounted on a trailer and is pulled by a Red Cross land cruiser.