As you may know, we usually get our water from a well-like this

But one day, a few weeks ago, we were drawn from our ger by the sound of a rototiller being used over by the police officer’s/governor’s houses. They were digging a trench and after asking around a bit we learned it was for water pipes. What? Water pipes that bring water directly from the well without you having to lug your 40 liter canisters all around? Where do we sign up?

We got Darkhuu on the case and about a week later Brian found himself and Sainaa out in our neighbor’s yard struggling with the rototiller for the piping to our yard.

A lot of hard machine and hand digging later,

and we were ready to call in the pipe laying professionals: Brian, Bayarmagnai, our neighbor and the town electrician/carpenter, his wife Urantuya, his son Sainaa, the town governor Sainbuyan, his wife and 2 year-old son, and various other neighbors. It was a true community project.

Covering over the pipeline was quickly completed by Brian, and our new spigot guard was installed.

So we now have water in our yard as long as the ground is not frozen, it is either Wednesday or Sunday night between 6-8 p.m. (our well times), we can get the well key from our neighbor, and someone goes to the well to turn on the motor. It is not quite in-home running water but beggars can’t be choosers.