[[Image:Baptist_drilling_start.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Starting a Baptist drilling.<br> Click image to zoom in.]]
[[Image:Drill bits and valves.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Drill bits and valves]]
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The Baptist method is a manual drilling method based on the [[Sludging - Asian sludge|Asian Sludge method]]. The method was developed to be used by very poor villagers in developing countries, who quickly learn how to drill their wells themselves. The Baptist drilling rig can be built in any ordinary arc welding workshop and materials for a basic version costs about 150 US$ (2006 prices).
Rural people in developing countries often cannot afford to have specialists drill or dig wells for them. This method was developed to provide poor people with a way to help themselves with their water supply. Having built their own well and pump, users become independent from external help for their water supply.
===Suitable conditions===
Suitable for unconsolidated formations: Sand, silt and clay. If rotated (including a drill bit) it may be possible to penetrate softer-consolidated formations such as stiff clays, soft sandstone, and weathered laterite. It will not, however, penetrate hard [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igneous igneous] rock or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder boulders] (e.g. in ancient river beds).
===Construction, operations and maintenance===
[[Image:Baptist_drill_bit.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Baptist drill bit. The arrow-shaped point is mounted on a ball, which acts as a check valve. The mud, loaded with clippings, passes the check valve and is carried up during the downward motion of the drilling stem. Depending on the type of soil, different drill bit designs are used.]]
[[Image:mechanized.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Mechanized version of Baptist drilling, powered by a 3HP diesel engine.]]
Note that there is no need to enlarge the entire depth of the borehole: reaming until slightly below the lowest expected water table (the pump's water intake) is sufficient.
===Costs===
A Baptist drilling rig, fit to drill holes up to 30 m deep, can be built in Nicaragua for about US$ 150. This includes all essential non-common tools to operate it. Its core element, the drill bits, can be made in about any arc-welding workshop, using only scrap steel and materials that can be found in virtually any hardware store.
Once the well is drilled, it is cased with cheap PVC tube. Fitting it with a slab of concrete as a sanitary seal and a simple PVC piston pump (also built by the users themselves) will cost about 2.5 dollars per meter well depth.
===Field experiences===
Baptist well drilling is used in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Cameroon, Zambia and Sri Lanka.
===Manuals, videos, and links===
* [http://www.arrakis.nl/files/Baptist%20drill%20%20manual%20%20%20Shipo%2010-08-08%20lo%20res-1.doc Baptist drilling manual], by [http://www.arrakis.nl/ Arrakis]
*[[Solution_of_the_week_4|Akvo solution of the week 4]]
=== Acknowledgements===
* The basis for the material on this page was obtained from a desk study shortly to be published on the website of the [http://www.practicafoundation.nl/ Practica Foundation], and from the [http://www.rwsn.ch/ Rural Water Supply Network], and specifically its [http://www.rwsn.ch/prarticle.2005-10-25.9856177177/prarticle.2005-10-26.7220595116/prarticle.2005-11-15.6127855822 manual drilling section].
* The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptist_well_drilling Wikipedia article on Baptist Drilling], originally written by Paul Cloesen.
* [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/technical-briefs/43-simple-drilling-methods.pdf 43. Simple drilling methods.] WEDC.