Drilling a WELL by HAND. UP TO 300 ft! Without Electricity

EMAS drilling is a completely manual DIY drilling method for making your own borehole. You can produce your personal drillset without the need for complex parts or tools. Relatively deep wells can be made.
For more information on construction and use of the drillset have a look at the videos by EMAS: / emasbolivia
If you have questions you can post them below or send us a request via our website: www.wot.utwent...

[@rickybailey7123]

I hand dug a well at my new shop 3 years ago 40 ft deep and I put a 6 in casing with 1 3/4 pipe in side of it I filled with 57 stone after my 6 in pipe and red clay at the top to seal it it took me 3 days by myself and there was about 10 on lookers watching me I know they were talking junk about how crazy I was till I hooked my pump up and sprayed the water hose in a Rainbow style with 60PSI on the pump for an hour just to show I really hit water And a lot !! Thanks for the video I'm in north Carolina red clay county and let me tell u got to be young at hear its really hard work just my 2 cent !! By myself I might add !!

[@rxstinky2736]

Ur a liar

[@tenlittleindians]

I guessing you left out some details or I'm calling bullshit! A 6" diameter hole in the ground 40 feet filled with water; that water would weigh 480 pounds! How were you able to push that kind of weight to the surface by hand? Even a smaller column of water as used in the video is the big limiting factor of a well 300 feet as they suggest is possible. That's water weight. A thick mud slurry like they suggest weighs even more with every inch in diameter or depth. Think of your 6" pipe as a plastic liter bottle about a foot tall. Now lift that bottle to stack another bottle under it. Lift those two to stack a 3rd under . Then lift all three to stack the 4th. Continue until your lifting a stack of 40 to slide the 41st bottle below and you will understand the gravity of the situation. Literally! I'm not saying it's impossible but it's impractical with the limits of the tools shown here.

[@jcpt928]

@@tenlittleindians You're not lifting the water, though - you're inputting water at the bottom of the water column to "flush" out debris. I agree that there is a limit on how deep you can go based off the pressure required to input additional water at the bottom of the column; but, if you were to replace the water hose here with a power washer, that'd get you considerably more distance. You might want to understand basic physics before spouting off, because there is a huge difference between your analogy of "lifting water", and the actual issue here of "back pressure" on a water output, at the bottom of a water column.

[@tenlittleindians]

@@jcpt928 To inject it in the bottom requires the same force as lifting the column of water! Were you unaware how it's calculated? And using a high pressure pump ain't exactly "digging it by hand" anymore. Your "flushing it out" story doesn't hold water. (See what I did there? It's known as a play on words) How are you going to "simply" flush it out? You either need to lift all the casing to create an opening at the bottom or your back to pumping water down the casing which requires pushing that water somewhere once the casing is full. (Back out the top under the full pressure that I previously calculated) I suggest you visit a local grade school and see if one of the nice teachers can take some time away from a toddler to help you brush up on your limited capacity for simple basic math.

[@jcpt928]

@@tenlittleindians You're completely dismissing the size, surface area, etc. of the casing, the digging head, the hole itself, etc. You clearly aren't paying attention. Water isn't a solid.

[@chaplainand1]

Thank you. I wish I had three friends. Only a real friend would help drill a well. May God bless you and yours as you bring this knoledge to the world.

[@dreece2000]

I was thinking the same! Maybe people watching has family that’s still alive and able. And has land that they can call their own

[@Ελλάδοςπνεύμα]

amazing comment.

[@stanley1554]

I'm blown away by the efficiency of this system. It's absolutely remarkable and these techniques for drilling Wells need to be preserved and spread far and wide. Water is a huge challenge for human beings and any cost-effective method that doesn't require electricity and can be done almost anywhere is super valuable to human beings.

[@robertmccarthy1256]

I’m blown away that after 50,000 yrs these people don’t know how to get water out of the ground all by themselves.

[@stanley1554]

@@robertmccarthy1256 I'm pretty sure that's exactly what you're watching in the video. Is them getting water out of the ground by themselves. I don't at all understand your comment. Quite frankly it's bizarre and makes no sense. Probably the mind of a radical leftist lgbtq democracy supporter

[@teeanahera8949]

@@robertmccarthy1256 50,000 years ago people lived near a river, lake or spring. With large populations demanding water away from a surface source then artesian water is the only option and it can be hard to attain, especially if it is 100m down.

[@robertmccarthy1256]

@@teeanahera8949 not for w_i_e people

[@indescribableemptiness4104]

@@robertmccarthy1256 50,000 years ago? No way you aren’t trolling or you are 14 zzz

[@VitorMadeira]

This is quite a fantastic video. Very inspirational. One could drill his one well following your instructions. Thank you and greetings from Portugal.

[@theCodyReeder]

It's a shame that doing this in the USA will land you with huge fines and/or prison.

[@theCodyReeder]

​@@acmhfmggruit's not the method persay it's the fact that unqualified individuals are penetrating an underground aquifer which risks contaminating it. Here in the states well drilling requires a licence, bond payment, inspections, paperwork ect.

[@edibleacres]

Really appreciate the detail and information presented here. Thank you kindly!

[@oumaantoney8951]

Congratulations!! This video underscores the need to utilize the readily available resources; in this case, the Human Power and Wisdom. What a Marvel!!

[@nathanmciver6496]

Yup!!!!!! Is thier an 0 anywhere? Proabably not! Have people worked to hard for far to long! Probably have! Anything else? Have the best day possible

[@JxH]

Decades ago, my well driller showed up with his huge truck-mounted drill rig. He reminded me of the price per foot for dirt (cheaper), and the price per foot for rock (more expensive). His drill bit was placed on the ground, and it made a ONE-HALF TURN and clunked into bedrock. The driller looked at me and said, "I guess it's rock all the way down." 302 feet of solid rock, but 10 gallons per minute total flow. So a nice reliable well and the pump is 30 years old and never been out yet. PS. U of Twente, I like your on-line SDR. Very very nice, and much appreciated.

[@williammorris3303]

I would love to drop off my work truck to these guys. The tools and materials would make these guys happy af

[@BCVS777]

Excellent video! The ball valve cylinder tech is actually quite old and has been used in water and petroleum wells for 150+ yrs here in the US. It works very well!

[@markawbolton]

Thousands of years in China IIRC,

[@RcCrawfordwellinventions]

If the materials include rocks, your method cannot tell if the rocks are gravel or basement rock. You can use a reverse flow rig to have a better chance of drilling through gravel. With reverse flow we have drilled up gravel as large as 7 inches by 11 inches through a 8 inch drill stem.

[@WOT_utwente]

Hi, thank you for your reply. Reverse flow drilling is indeed also a very interesting method, especially to lift up gravel.

[@RcCrawfordwellinventions]

You should mention that it will not drill through gravel larger than the inlet, it does not reach a high velocity that would overcome slip velocity. The pressure of the mud caused by the process can stop up the aquifer. There are other problems as well, but the process has been used in Bangladesh (without the pump) to drill as deep as 1000 feet and is more than 1000 years old. When drilling without the pump the process is called sludging in most of the world.

[@WOT_utwente]

Hi, you are correct, this is a sludging method. Also the pressurised drilling fluid can indeed clog up the aquifer, this is exactly the reason why we need to thoroughly develop the well. About the gravel: the emas drill set will not lift up gravel. However, because of the shape of the drill head it is sometimes possible that gravel is pressed into walls of the borehole such that the drilling can continue.

[@RcCrawfordwellinventions]

@@WOT_utwente It is unlikely that the drill will force gravel into a wall of gravel. It is more likely that the bit will bypass the gravel and lock up the drill stem or keep the casing and screen from going full depth.. It is impossible to clear up a well that you cannot inspect for sieve size or for cake. Even using a mechanical rig, the aquifer can be stopped up several feet belong the centerline of the borehole. The direct circulation process can force thixotropic mud into course materials. Thixotropic muds are liquid when in motion and set to a solid when motionless. The small diameter diameter you are using is not capable the high velocity needed to properly release the thixotropic mud.

[@esecallum]

impossible to drill 1000 feet=333 metres.

[@njkauto2394]

Someone owns a drilling business?????????????

[@NdimphiweGushu]

Hi there, could you please post a link to the video where you make the pump (Amos pump?), I tried looking for it but can't find it. This is really amazing, unfortunately there's hard rock where I am so this wouldn't work. But I liked the pump and would like to make one.

[@anthonyrepetto3474]

Excellent work, thank you! And, have you considered filling the pipe with 1/3rd water? It would create a water-hammer effect, as the water bounces it transfers a greater force *per second* and the shock of that impact could help with soft rock...

[@Mk101T]

Well you would have to install a valve just behind the drill head that can be opened from the top ... with say a pull string . But the drill pipe is full of the mud slurry being pumped down to bring up sand and other material outside the pipe. Which I doubt it could lift rock chunks .

[@JacanaHelp]

Very nice explanation. Keep up the good work

[@123Goldhunter11]

Run that water thru a septic system and it will go back into the ground to get recycled. Also grow crops with drip irrigation or the Kratky method that conserves water. Governments don't want to teach self sufficiency. They prefer dependency and are threatened by people who build their own houses, drill their own wells and grow their own food.

[@GoingtoHecq]

You do not want to drink water from your septic system. Place your well far away from your sewage or else it won't be clean for drinking even if you boil it. Also the rest of your comment is pure crazy

[@robgnisir4708]

No it isn't.

[@ronb6182]

​@@robgnisir4708 agree!

[@ronb6182]

People don't realize they are drinking recycled water. The ground is the best filter. You just need a distance between the well and the septic tank and drain field. 73

[@dreanorodolphe6697]

300 ft ??¿? More 30ft

[@dhq12345]

By the end of this video, I was telling myself "Well done".

[@richardordonez8331]

A well is a deep subject.

[@ProjectLeadInternational]

Amazing video, thank you so much, Engineers Without Boarders SDSU chapter will be building a well in Uganda, this was a very well done video :) it makes me excited to take on this project :)

[@johnpartridge7623]

So simple, yet brilliant allowing People to have clean, safe Water 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Sylvan_dB]

Nice use of simple technology. I do find it a conundrum: I need to drill a water well. I need water to drill my well.

[@bjjsdshepard1]

Theres water on earth just need to travel to get it. Some further than others

[@dysfunctional_vet]

these men are amazing at what they did....i am very impressed and wow'd by the sheer determination to win. well done

[@Snappypantsdance]

Well Done 😂 Clever ;)

[@abcstardust]

Thank you for posting this remarkable video! It sure gives do-it-yourselfers things to keep in mind!

[@ceasursmoke1391]

a sledge hammer and a sand point would of gotten this done in 30 mins. just saying.

[@Imwright720]

I driller through 2’ of coral which is soft. It still wasn’t easy. I made a drill bit and used a big impact to turn it.

[@Resist.Tyranny]

Instead of having everyone yanking on the rope to lift the "drill", you just need a counterweight close to the weight of however much you have added to the drill side.

[@EMNM22]

This is a great tutorial for understanding the basics. Can upload videos more often? I love watching these kinds of videos?

[@sofidemisse1492]

I like it. I am Ethiopian. I have seen a lot about how the pump works, but I don't see a simple procedure without you please show me. I hope you get back to me soon

[@WOT_utwente]

Hi are you interested in the pump made from PVC pipes shown at the end? We made a video about this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnXLd5qYbq6LatE

[@alejandrocorral7148]

@@WOT_utwente how can I contact you, see if you can sell me one those drill machine?

[@alhaah777]

It is posible because there is no rok underneath. Many part of world there is huge rock underneath the surface. So, it's not possible.

[@AdamBechtol]

Very cool stuff! Thanks for sharing. Glad to learn this can be done by hand, and i bet this could help lots of people in developing countries.

[@beansmalone1305]

this is a great method but i live in new england and have zero chance of digging anywhere without hitting rock and ledge.

[@NOBOX7]

you should of made the title " Drilling 300ft hole in sandals bear hands "

[@GuyLemont]

Thank you very much, I'm watching from Papua New Guinea.

[@floyddouglas3210]

I'd have to say that was mighty educational

[@RR98guy]

I hate to be a wet blanket but if the region you are drilling your water well has geothermal water or petroleum and natural gas you should do your homework before attempting this method. It is possible to hit gas pockets at depths of as little as 30 meters and even possible geo thermal water at the same depths this well drilling method is useful to produce. The bad thing about either gas or geo thermal water sources is once you pop the cork on a gas pocket or heated water good luck plugging off your discovery. I worked in the oil drilling industry on drill rigs and twice was on a rig that discovered natural gas at 40-50 metre depth. Caping it off was not possible due to not yet having ran surface casing and a Blow out preventer at that stage of the drilling programme. Luckily the gas pocket was small and it exhausted itself after a few days. If that is not a problem in your region this method shown on the video will work to produce a water well if water is at the depth of under 100 metre's

[@The-t3z]

How about you just don’t worry about it, and drill. Worry about the consequences later.

[@watch50er]

Better safe than sorry

[@finnwendl5439]

If you'd watch the video to the end, he addresses exactly that. 🤯

[@Mr.Riffian]

Biggest problem hitting an oil or gas pocket is you will be visited by the USA without giving them an invitation 😅

[@jesse1136]

Can confirm, we called it "surface gas" and there's not much to do about it but bleed it off before the bore is cased and cemented. Generally not a huge issue, but we also weren't drilling in a backyard with simple tools.

[@38911bytefree]

AMAZING process, very clever. I cant imagine how many times has been perfected and optimized to reach this point.

[@workhardlivefree3818]

I'm always astouded that people think this is a new idea... Wells have been drilled using spring poles for centuries. But because so many people are ignorant to history, they think that all of a sudden someone came along whipped an idea up. Engineers are absolutely the most guilty. Here in Southwestern Ontario, the majority of the oil wells in 1858 to 1863 were drilled with the same method up to 500 feet down. And it was an idea based on Chinese techniques from 2500 years ago

[@gutsngorrrr]

Very interesting seeing another method for drilling a water well.

[@themadfarmer5207]

Waste of time, but maybe time is of abundance. 2 or 3 inch bore is useless. Soil looks like ashes. Majority of water aquifers are found in shale or broken rock formations

[@deanframe9095]

Wow Thank you so so so very much!

[@moefuggerr2970]

We call that jetting a well. I have done that by myself.

[@paulsmithson6866]

Great idea if the ground is clay, what happens if there are large rocks though?

[@ronb6182]

Yeah good point there are rocks down there and I seriously doubt this will work in north Georgia. I'm glad my father in law actually put a good well down. I know the water is good and I don't have to try digging a well. There is a spring on the property but the flow is too slow and the water is filthy. The creek has cleaner water..73

[@tombouie]

Thks, brilliant engineering (I envy them in a very good-way).

[@steffen1182]

NESTLE dont like this video! 🤣

[@cameranbittick3814]

Basically a drilling rig scaled-down. Cool

[@rogerflorida1498]

I think I will stick with renting a Bobcat skid steer with drill attachment from Home Depot.

[@synapticaxon9303]

I've put in a number of 4ft ground anchors for ham radio masts and let me tell you, this twisting motion the guy is doing is going to bite you. You will get a collarbone dislocation if you muscle your way through it. This will most likely be a sternoclavicular (sc) joint dislocating at the sternum (often like a spring has been sprung) and probably the acromioclavicular (ac) joint. These are hard to heal. Use a breaker bar and PUSH, don't twist with both arms because your body will give before the ground does. Thank me later.

[@edwardmmanns7454]

I would love you to try it here in PA...we grow all kinds of rocks. Good video, though.

[@cirilocerro2269]

Amazing coach, very usefull technique

[@pangrac1]

Truly amazing! 👍 I was already ameze with DIY drilling well with power drill, but this is more crazy. 👍😃

[@cryptolioicecreamoranges6974]

Once the well is drilled, they can use all that mud to build a hut!😆

[@baddoggie101]

That's great so long as you don't hit large rocks or gravel.

[@RcCrawfordwellinventions]

You might mention that if you use such a small diameter, there is no room for a specified 2 inch gravel pack around the screen.

[@forward876]

One mark of a real engineer is the ability to use the materials, budgets and capabilities at hand

[@philholman8520]

Terrific video. Thanks so much for sharing! ☺️🙏👍✌️🇬🇧

[@stanleygilo6880]

Thank you..God bless..❤🙏..Papua New Guinea

[@agritech802]

Very clever, well done 👍

[@phmiii]

Amazing! We must not forget what we already know!

[@HayroHaryo]

great job buddy. you're the man. you're the man. all thumbs up for you

[@Hellsong89]

You also need to prevent rain water from going into the well cause it will flush all kind of bacteria etc in there. While clever method of drilling, i doubt there is location in this country where this method would be possible since its ether bedrock or clay with large rocks.

[@sammyd7857]

Don't bother in rocky area

[@billwilson3665]

I cant imagine drilling 100+ feet without finding rock.

[@hernandosegura4078]

Very good, thanks.

[@efimmuratov6613]

Grown-ups playing with mud :D :D :D

[@YouTubestopsharingmyrealname]

around my area of the eastern USA, wells are washed in. pressurized water pumped into the well point while it's pressed into the ground. these wells usually only go 12-20 ft (3-6m) deep. high water table around here.

[@fabianleguel2960]

Man ,such a well studied guy's , i can tell they been watching videos and ,look im amazed to be honest..😅😅

[@tonypointer7026]

Wow super job. Smart man seen in Toronto ontatio Canada

[@paulmills1705]

This is exactly how old cable tool oil rigs drilled oil wells. They were much bigger and they went down over 300 feet but it was the same idea.

[@baddog9320]

not quite. But there are two issues. 1st cable drilling was used for water wells before long before oil. 2nd a cable drill will go through anything. it breaks up the ground / rock under it into tiny pieces. its does this in very small section before needing to be " clutched" . or bailed out. See below for a description of a clutch. The small section are like 2 to 6 inches. So you drill with the cable drill. ( a few inches) Then pull the drill out. Put the clutch in to bail out the bore hole. Pull out the clutch. which is full of degree. it will require a few times of clutching. Then drill another few inches with the cable drill. It is a long process. Taking weeks to drill. ... I suppose in some cases months even. a cable drill will drill any distance. As long as you have the length of cable. CLUTCH A clutch is a small pipe that allows the slug, ( water and debree) to collect in. That is attached to a cable Something like a bucket. There is always water in the hole to mix the dirt / rock dust that the drill is breaking up. There is no rotary action in the drilling. it's simply a smashing action the cable drill is doing. the up and down motion is breaking the ground under the drill. And mixing the debree with the water. ... My problem is I havent figured out how to make a clutch. I'm probably over thinking it. Cable drills were still being used in water drilling in the Early 1980s. However rotary drills were more common The well driller in the early 80s I seen using a cable drill rig. Was a old timer There is an old rig. on a guess 1940s truck. About 50 miles from me. That is just sitting. I've been trying to buy it for a couple years. But can't get a hold of the owner. I'm hoping it has a clutch with it. The truck is inside a fence.

[@brahimiamar4471]

By hand, without electricity... only 3 BLACK people working... do you know that slavery is abolished ? I could not see you delivering a drop of sweat in your video.

[@lappieslabuschagne2428]

And when you struck a rock..... ?

[@sahutanchannel2397]

Dalam banyak vidio sumur.. Hanya ini sangat luar biasa kedalaman 100 meter memang manual tanpa listrik ❤❤❤

[@DaveOxfordCookingWithStarlight]

Thank you for this excellent video ..

[@michaelshuiban5335]

God bless you sir, thanks a lot for sharing your good experience.

[@lokket9995]

This was a very nice documentry.

[@JesusSaves86AB]

Amazing work gentlemen. God bless you.

[@OsmanK699]

I've noticed this particular drilling was in Kenya. Where exactly in Kenya, since that's my country, and i could go check it out?

[@KethenGoesHam]

How do you know where the water line is?

[@hlloyge]

That's the real question here.

[@Premier-Media-Group]

Anyone in the comments section ever dug a well in Southern AZ without a full drilling rig? If so, let's talk!

[@walterdavidscottnongkynrih543]

Needs a lot of man labor which very strenuous and very much needed in our land in Shillong ,Meghalaya we are facing water shortage especially in our village

[@richmondmawnai3777]

after much efforts ,but if we happen to met a stone under ground what shall we do???? and how many days it will take time to complete 100ft

[@crashedking1931]

I wonder if this team is willing to travel the US and drill my well in the desert I wonder what the cost would be? "Liked the video"

[@kimutairop2847]

Where can I find this team? I am in Kenya.

[@WOT_utwente]

Hi Kimutai, we actually recorded this video in Kenya near Kisii during a course at Aqua Clara Kenya. You can contact them if you are interested. If you need any contact information please let me know via the contactform of our website, then we can get you in touch. For more technical info check out the youtube channel of EMAS: kzbin.info Finally if you have any more technical questions I can get you in contact with someone who has a lot of experience, for that please also contact us via our website.: www.wot.utwente.nl/en/about-the-wot/contact

[@chrismagero3290]

Hi Rop, did you get any help?, Am interested as well.

[@kimutairop2847]

@@chrismagero3290 yes, they are in kakamega . Will give you their contact

[@chrismagero3290]

@@kimutairop2847 thanks

[@wanjiruwabakari9845]

Hi @Rop.. also me i need their contacts .mine is 65ft.. thenx in advance n God bless.

[@heikowalter8239]

Its nice to watsch ,not to work ! En electric Motor and a Waterpump is no Hightech but ,it makes it easyer !

[@brokendad2222]

Check your local laws, most States require a permit at the very least. Many require a license to drill water wells.

[@williamhanna5224]

Awesome video Great work !

[@got2kittys]

The deepest hand driven well is thousands of feet deep. There are 1000's around a 1000 feet. Millions at 500 feet.

[@timonwasilwa8365]

This is good but digging a well next to a pit latrine/ toilet is unhealthy. I just noticed the toilets behind

[@chrisaldana8164]

Anybody wana help with a 900 Ft well could use the help kinda scratching my head

[@fistoroboto9539]

Why not use a counterweight that makes the drill tube weightless. Add more weight as you go along.

[@bushysnowtail7413]

this is wat i Look for.. the non -western- countries have the best easy tech as they have not become so dependent on company Consumerism ideals " you have to buy the new stuff, all the time" i've only saw the marble and pipe. knowing how it goes and im already gunna hit that like (find alot of god info from Africa and rural Indonesia)

[@forposterity4031]

How does the "developing" phase work if you have fine mesh on the outside? It doesn't make sense, you wrap it so small particles cant get in, then you siphon the core out by pulsing hoping to get small particles through the mesh and up the core? So either you're not pulling in particles through the mesh when you are pulsing/developing, or the mesh is a bad filter that lets in particles. This part makes no sense. I don't think you're really doing anything when you do that other then waste time or damage the filter mesh.

[@RichardRobbinsFamily]

There is a lot of creativity in what some might consider a "crude" way of digging a well. Thanks for sharing.

[@SeanMacClanahan]

If you have electricity to weld the drill up with... why do this job by hand??

[@p35flash97]

Do you think you could use this system to make a hole for a closed loop geothermal cooling system?

[@samuelmutuiri596]

How do you know where to dig??

[@johnwaugh2613]

Thats awesome everyone comes together ❤️ I would like to dig a handpump but I live in New England I can dig a 4ft hole in the ground 1 foot round and have 50 big stones in a pile..

[@AmalgmousProxy]

The ground where I am is mostly sand, I wonder if this method will work here...

[@OlafGodredsson]

Well done

[@jackriley5974]

50 years ago I saw a well drilled in similar fashion but they used an old auto with the rear end jacked and a windless type hub secured to a rear wheel. A few wraps of the rope around it a a man could lift the entire drill stem with one hand! Though you'd like to know?

[@jeremiahhively3025]

Great video, these men worked very hard

[@adonismadriaga7391]

You cannot do that here in the Phils. You will always encounter hard rock. Even machines are having a hard time. Even rotary drilling for 200-300ft

[@suzmaca650]

That’s amazing!