Table Of ContentP'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
