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Well No. 17

Nuevo Horizonte Elementary School

 Sponsors - Blake, Debbie, Zack, & Logan Hocott

Ft. Smith, Arkansas

The settlement of Nuevo Horizonte is a newly opened homestead community near the Quinta Linea Methodist Church and near the site of our previous Well No. 16. Also planned for the community of Nuevo Horizonte is an "urban zone", including an elementary school, a plaza and a soccer field.  We were asked if we could please drill a well in the urban zone, and we agreed.  It was decided to drill the well in the location of the future elementary school.  The urban zone is a dream for the future - but they need water today!  We worked with Milciades Villalba, the President of the Neighborhood Commission - somewhat like the mayor - who lives behind the school site.  He and his wife Babina (Baby is her nickname) are a very hard working young couple carving out a new life homesteading 20 acres. 

They have built a small house, with a nice tight thatch roof.  We never knew the particulars of roof thatching, but we learned that he used the best kind of thatch which can last more that 10 years.  So far all they have in the house is a bed and a wardrobe for clothes.  They keep the table outside since it is usually too hot inside to eat during the day.  The kitchen is simply a small lean-to to provide some shade and a fire - kind of like camping out - eternally!  Notice the pot hanging from the rafter - it is her only one.  She hangs it over the fire on a chain.  There is also an old grill for cooking meat - when they can afford it.

Since we don't like to overly burden the families where we work, we usually set up a kitchen for Linda to feed the team.  It is always a lot of fun since the family likes to share their food and we of course share ours.  It is a treat to see how they react to Linda's Paraguayan food cooked "North American style" and to enjoy some of their food as well.  We employed our trusted drillers Bonifacio Blanco and Genaro Aveiro for this well also - they have now worked with us on the last 6 wells.  Milciades also worked as the "helper".  It is very nice having a seasoned team that can handle the drilling.  We actually left them to drill for a couple days without us when we were called into Asuncion for a meeting with the church leadership.

This area does not yet have electricity, so we installed a hand pump.  The well is quite deep, with the water table at 42 meters (138 feet).  So, we put an "extra long" handle with a counterweight to make pumping a little easier.  As you can see from Babina's big smile she is glad to not be walking for hours to fetch water!  Praise the Lord.

 Technical Details

Sponsor:    Blake, Debbie, Zack, & Logan Hocott; Ft. Smith, Arkansas

Drilling date: Nov 16 - Dec 4, 2006

Location:   Latitude -   S24° 25.688’       Longitude - W 056° 08.951' 

Elevation:   223 meters above mean sea level

Total cost:    $2,116

Drill depth: 84 meters

Soil types encountered:    clayey sand and sandstone

Static groundwater level: 42 meters below ground surface

Dynamic groundwater level:  unknown (hand pump)

Installed well depth:  59 meters

Length of screened section:  18 meters

Length of gravel packed section:  unknown

Length and type of sealed section:  1 meter of bentonite pellets

Pump description:    2 inch cylinder hand pump

Depth to base of pump:   52 meters

Flow rate:    N/A

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