First Well for Chipokolo

The preparation and drilling were a major event. Not only because they marked the actual start of the project, but also because of the question of whether we would find enough water to supply the property and its buildings. And finally, there was the question of where we would find the most water, because that is where the supply building from which the distribution would originate was to be located.
Two teams of hydrologists surveyed the site, and both came to the same conclusion: the most promising drilling site was exactly where we had intuitively hoped it would be. One team leader was skeptical about the expected amount of water, while the other advised us to go ahead. We took the plunge and hired the team from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Water Development in Lilongwe.
They drilled 43 meters deep, partly through hard rock, to the point where it was hard to imagine going any further. A soil sample was collected from each drill rod length and evaluated by Brian, the team leader. Then came the suggestion not to drill any deeper, and for us the big question: will we get enough water?
A week later, another team arrives to test the pump. They set the pump to 37 meters, as recommended by the hydrological report. A 12-hour test is then carried out, and a few days later we receive the detailed test report: The spring delivers 0.3 liters per second, which is around 1,000 liters per hour—enough for our needs. We are all relieved, as the drilling was quite expensive. We would like to thank the German Embassy in Lilongwe for supporting the first step of the project!

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)