Construction Technology How-to video’s for Watsan Devices Published on YouTube

An organization out of Germany called EMS has produced and posted on YouTube  a great set of educational videos surrounding the building of  of storage tanks, pumps, solar heater, wells, latrines and many other relate watsan devises.  It is apparent that it comes from their first hand experience:  “More than 10,000 wells have been drilled in South America since introduction of the EMAS concept “assistance to self-help”. EMAS stands for “Escuela Movil Aguas Y Saneamiento Basico” (Mobile school for drinkable water and sanitation) Their home site site is also in Spanish and German

The videos are designed to be understood by watching without use of audio commentary. There are bylines in Spanish and English to introduce a topic and  to indicate time lapsed but that is it.  Music is overlayed with the sounds of sawing  troweling and pumping. They are filmed  in a great style such that one quickly catches on to  concepts.  Obviously, don’t expect to master the skills presented just by watching. There is bound to be some trial and error. The following  list of videos  as of Jan 4 2009. IT looks like it will grow. The videos titled General – introducing the EMAS technologies – part 1 (view below) & part 2 is a great place to start, to see a sampling of what it is all about.

• General – EMAS training center in Puerto Perez, Bolivia
• General – introducing the EMAS technologies – part 1 & part 2
• General – making pipe fittings, air chambers, etc – part 1 & part 2
• Hydroelectricity – small hydroelectric plants – part 1 & part 2
• Irrigation – using a windmill, a pedal powered pump, and drip irrigation
• Irrigation – using a windmill, a pedal powered pump, and drip irrigation – part 1 & part 2
• Kitchen – making a kitchen sink
• Latrines – the EMAS VIP latrine – part 1- part 3
• Pumps – EMAS handpump used in well near the home – part 1 & part 2
• Pumps – EMAS high pressure handpump – part 1- part 5
• Pumps – EMAS high quantity handpump – part 1 – part 5
• Pumps – EMAS hydraulic ram – part 1 & part 2
• Pumps – EMAS pedal-powered pump – part 1 & part 2
• Pumps – standard EMAS handpump using fittings – part 1 – part 3
• Pumps – standard EMAS handpump using pipes – part 1 – part 4
• Pumps – windmill powering EMAS pump – part 1- part 6
• Rainwater harvesting – different rainwater tanks – part 1 – part 3
• Solar heating – hot shower using bottles
• Solar heating – solar water heater – part 1 & part 2
• Solar heating – using the sun to heat a room
• Solar heating – using the sun to heat a room – part 1 – part 5
• Spring catchment – combined with long-distance pumping
• Spring catchment – using PVC tubes
• Storage tanks – Ferrocement tank using inner form – parts 1-3
• Storage tanks – ferrocement tank
• Storage tanks – small ferrocement tank and sink
• Storage tanks – underground cistern in sandy soil – part 1 & part 2
• Water heating – theory of solar water heater – parts 1 -6
• Water treatment – subsurface wetland with greenhouse
• Water treatment – subsurface wetland with greenhouse – part 1 & part 2
• Well drilling – required materials – part 1- part 3
• Well drilling – sludging with temporary casing – part 1- part 3
• Well drilling – standard EMAS method – part 1 & part 2
• Well drilling – suction variant to standard EMAS method – part 1 & part 2
• Wells – improving a existing shallow hand-dug well

They are “Published in cooperation with http://www.akvo.org.“