Table Of Content

P'A-A AS-o77 Vlaimge Technology Handbook FOREWORD VITA's Vitage Technotogy Handbook is an important tool for development workers and do-it-yourselfers. First published in 1963 under the auspices of the U.S. Agency fur International Development, the Village Technology Handbook is now in its fifth major printina; versions in French and Spanish, as well as English, appear on shelves in bookstores, on desks in government offices and local organizations, in school librar ies, and in the field kits of village workers and self-suffi ciency innovators around the world. It is a handbook which assists people in both Northern and Southern countries who are working to improve their lives and to gain mastery of their own resources. VITA is committed to assisting appropriate growth: that is, to progress based on self-expressed needs which leads to increasing self-reliance. Access to clearly presented tech nical information provides a key to such growth. Therefore, VITA searches out, develops and disseminates techniques and devices which have been made and used in villages. The Vi. lage Technology Handbook represents one of VITA's efforts to support appropriate growth and development by facilitating the flow of information among the communities of the world. A NOTE ON USING THE HANDBOOK When the materials suggested in the handbook are not avail abeb lec,a reiftu lm ayto bem akpeo ssaniyb lec hatnog essu b sint itduitmee nsoitohhesr mmaadtee rinaelcse;s sabruyt by such substitutions. Dimensions are given in metric units in the text, with English units in parentheses. Only metric units are given in the illustrations. Conversion tables are given in the Appendix. Reference materials, along with information on where they can be obtained, are listed at the end of a specific entry when they pertain to that entry. When they refer more gen erally to the field covered in a section of the book, they are given at the end of the section. If you cannot get these publications, VITA may be able to help you. If you want to use translations of material in the hand book, we ask you to let VITA know. The material you want may already be translated; if it is not, and if you trans late it, VITA would like to make your translation available to othe's. youI f ryuon u inhtaov e prqoubelsetmiso nsi n oni mptlhee memnattienriga lt hep rehsacnndtbeodo k'hse r es,u gif gestions, or if you have other technical problems, please contact VITA for assistance. The information in this handbook came from many sources; VITA hopes the ideas presented here will generate new ma ttgheeers itaiilon nf sow rh miacarhte ioocnfa n gnrebeteawctoo mrekI .m ppoarrTtth aenrocfee f.of ru et Iunyr oeu orre ddeicrto imomtone sn tfsaa nc dia lndia tdads tuegt o your review of this information, an evaluation form has been inserted in this manual. Please remove it, and send it back to VITA w;th your observations and comments. VITA will then assemble and disseminate the new information) thereby making it available to as many around the world as possible. ( About VITA VITA .. . is a private, non-profit development VITA currently publishes about 50 organization based inthe United appropriate technology manuals, many States, Since 1960 VITA has supplied available inFrench and Spanish as information and assistance, primarily well as English. These manuals deal by mail, to people seeking help with with such specific topics as wind technical problems inmore than 100 mills, solar cookers, water wheels, developing countries. Providing its rabbit raising. sew-vices inresponse to reque:ts from Inaddition, a number of VITA individuals and groups working to im- Technical Bulletins are available. prove homes, farms, communities, busi- These are plans and case studies nesses, and lives, VITA helps select which present ideas and alternatives and implement technologies appropriate to encourage further experimentation to the situation, and testing and provide access to VITA's technical services are pro- some of the best from VITA Volunteers vided by a worldwide corps of 4500 and others. Complete lists of pub skilled Volunteer experts and a cen- lications and technical bulletins tral staff of twenty. are available upon request. ViTA consultants can help design a VITA N" is a quarterly newsletter bridge using local materials; collab- which provides an important communica orate on a windmill plan for Pumping tions link among far-flung organiza water or generating electricity; devise tions involved intechnology transfer an agricultural implement, develop a and adaptation. The Neiu contains method for reconstituting powdered reviews of new books, technical ab milk for a school lunch program; find stracts, updates on worldwide activi out why a pump being tested isnot ties, notices of new organizations. working; evaluate a small leithercraft VITA isa dynamic, flexible or business. ganization with an extremely cost- Over the years VITA has qained world- effective program for meeting de wide recognition for developing tech- velopment needs. Funding comes nologies responsive to specific cultural from a variety of public and pri and technical contexts. vate sources. As a non-profit Areas of particular interest to VITA organization, VITA relies on in are: -- agriculture and animal husbandry dividual, business and foundation -- alternative energy systems (wind, support to ensure the continuation of solar, bio-gas, etc.) its activities. Contributions inany water and sanitation amount from people anywhere inthe' --food processing world are sincerely appreciated. -- small-scale industries -- equipment design -- project feasibility and evaluation For further information, write to -- low-cust housing and construction VITA, 3706 Rhode Island Avenue, -- crafts production and marketing Mount Rainier, Maryland 20822 USA. SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED INTHIS BOOK @ . . . . at " . inch foot C .... degrees Celsius (Centigrade) cc .. .cubic centimeter cm .. .centimeter cm/sec .centimeters per second d or dia. diameter F . . . . degrees Fahrenheit gm . . . gram gpm . . . gallons per minute HP . . . horsepuwer kg . . . kilogram km . . . kilometer 1 . . . . liter lpm . . . liters per minute 1/sec . . liters per second m . . . . meter ml . . . milliliters mm . . . millimeters m/m . . meters per minute m/sec . . meters per second ppm . . . parts per million R .. .. radius Table of Contents Foreword 1 A Note on Using the Handbook vi About VITA vii Sy~mbols and Abbreviations Used in This Book x WATER RESOURCES Developing Water Sources 3 Getting G: und-Wate^ from Wells and Springs Tubewells Dry Bucket Well Drilling Driving Wells Dug Wells Water Lifting and Transport 63 Water Transport Water Lifting Pumps Water Storage and Water Power 107 Spring Development Cisterns Selecting a Damsite Reciprocating Wire Power Transmission Water Purification 23 Boiler for Drinking Water Chlorination for Polluted Water and Super-Chlorination of Wells, Spring Encasements and Cisterns Water Purification Plant Sand Filter HEALTH AND SANITATION 145 Sanitary Latrines Bilharziasis PGRICULTURE 183 Earth MovJng Devices for Irrigation and Road-Building Irrigation Poultry Raising Silage for Dairy Cows FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION 255 Storing Food at Home Storing Vegetables and Fruits for Winter Use How to Salt Fish CONSTRUCTION 283 Concrete Construction Bamboo Construction Glues HOME IMPROVEMENT 319 Solar Water Heater Washing Machines Cookers and Stoves Home Soap Making Bedding CRAFTS AND VILLAGE INDUSTRY 353 COMMUNICATIONS 365 Bamboo or Reed Writing Pens Silk Screening InexpeiveRubber Cement APPENDIX 377 Temperature Conversion Length Conversion Weight Conversion Conversion Tables Afto~ee Developing Wter Sources There are three main sources of water (2)easily available and (3)sufficient for small water-supply systems: ground inquantity. water, surface water and rainwater. The entries which follow describe the methods Once the water ismade available, it of getting water from these three sources: must be brought from where itisto where itisneeded and steps must be taken to 1. Getting Ground Water from Wells and be sure that it is pure. These subjects Springs. are covered insections on: 2. Building Small Dams to Collect Sur- Water Lifting face Water. Water Transport 3. Collecting Rainwater inCisterns. Water Purification The choice of the source of water de pends on local circumstances. A study An added section on Map Makinj gives of the local area should be made to de- guidelines which will be helpful inirri termine which source isbest for provid- gation and drainage projects. ing water which is (1) safe and wholesome, GETTING GROUND WATER FROM WELLS AND SPRINGS This section explains ground water and then describes a variety of methods of collecting ground water: 1. Tubewells a. Well Casing and Platforms b. Hand-Operated Drilling Equipment /U c. Driving Wells 2. Dug Wells 3. Spring Development Ground Water the water "disappear" into the sand (see Figure 1). However, ifwe looked through Ground water issubsurface water which the side of the bowl, we would see water fills small openings (pores) of loose inthe sand, but below the top of the sediments (such as sand and gravel) or sand. The sand containing the water is rocks. For example, ifwe took a clear said to be saturated. The top of the glass bowl, filled itwith sand, and then saturated sand iscalled thew.ater table poured insome water, we would notice itisthe level of the water inthe sand. 3 The water beneath the water table is When the water table intersects the true ground water available (by pumping) land surface, springs or swamps are for human us0 . There iswater inthe soil formed (see Figure 3). During a partic above the water table, but itdoes not ularly wet season, the water table will flow into a well and isnot available for come much closer to the land surface than usage by pumping, itnormally does and many new springs or swampy areas will appear. On the other Ifwe inserted a straw into the satu-, hand, during a particularly dry season, rated sand inthe bowl inFigure 1 and the water table will be lower than normal sucked on the straw, we would obtain some and many springs will "dry up." Many water (initially, we would get some sand shallow wells may also "go dry." too). Ifwe sucked long enough, the water table or water level would drop toward Flow of Water to Wells the bottom of the towl. This isexactly what happens when water ispumped from a A newly dug well fills with water a well drilled below the water table. meter or so (a'Iew feet) deep, but after some hard pumping itbecomes dry. Has The two basic factors inthe occurrence the well failed? Was itdug inthe wrong of ground water are: (1)the presence place? More likely you are witnessing of water, and (2)a medium to "house" the phenomenon of drawdown, an effect the water. Innature, water isprimar- every pumped well has on te water table, ily provided by precipitation (rain and (see Figure 4). snow), and secondarily, by surface water features (rivers and lakes). The medium Because water flows through sediments isporous rock or loose sediments, slowly, almost any well can be pumped dry temporarily ifit is pumped hard enough. The most abundant ground-water reser- Any pumping will lower the water level voir occurs inthe loose sands and gravels to some degree, inthe manner shown in inriver valleys. Here the water table Figure 4. A serious problem arises only roughly parallels the land surface, that when the drawdown due to normal use lowers is,the depth to the water table isgen- the water table below the level of the erally constant. Disregarding any drastic well. changes inclimate, natural ground-water After the well has been dug about a conditions are fairly uniform or balanced. meter (several feet) below the water InFigure 2,the water poured into the table, itshould be pumped at about the bowl (analogous to precipitation) isbal- rate itwill be used to see ifthe flow anced by the water discharging out of the into the well isadequate. Ifit is not bowl at the lower elevation (analogous to sufficient, there may be ways to improve discharge into a stream). This movemont it. Digging the well deeper or wider wil of ground water isslow, generally centi- not only cut across more of the water meters or inches per day. bearing layer to allow more flow into the well, but itwill also enable the well to store a greater quantity of water which WATER " may seep in overnight. If the well is still not adequate and can be dug no Ecl/6'e e r deeper, itcan be widened further, per haps lengthened inone direction, or . more wells can be dug. If it is pos sible to do so safely, another method is ;:"; to dig horizontal tunnels out from the bottom of the well. The goal of all AAT ER LoSr 4