HJL,
Can you please help me understand
what you mean about locking up a well pump to prevent sabotage? Even if my well pump is locked, a
saboteur intent on destroying my well could still dump poison down the air vent
or take a k-saw or sledge hammer to the exposed portions of the pump. Unless
you are erecting an impenetrable concrete and steel structure around your pump,
I don’t understand what you are protecting by putting a lock on a manual well
pump.
Preventing an uninvited neighbor
from cycling your well pump does not protect your well from damage. It does
keep thirsty people from obtaining water, which may cause them to behave
unpredictably, and withholding an unlimited supply of water from those who need
it ranks among the most unchristian things I can think of to do in a disaster.
This concept of placing a lock on an outdoor well pump is a real head-scratcher
to me.
HJL responds: It’s similar to the concept of locking your house. If your
house is built like the majority of modern houses, your house is inherently
insecure. Most homes can be breached with a simple kick on the front door, but
even if you take the precautions of securing the doors and even placing bars on
the windows, a determined attacker is still going to gain entry. The best you can
do is slow them down and make them work a little bit harder. Most criminals are
lazy; if they have to work at it, they won’t bother. Years ago, the local
locksmith told me that the secret to keeping your home from being broken into
is to make your neighbor’s home seem more attractive to a criminal. If your
neighbor puts up a chain link fence, you put up a fence and bars on your
windows. If he posts a “security” sign in his yard, you post a “video security”
sign in yours.
The bottom line is that if someone
is determined to sabotage your well, there is very little you can do to stop
him. However, you can certainly make it difficult for him. If that person is
not acting with a determined mind and willing to put significant effort into
it, he will simply move on. The vast majority of vandalism in this area is
simply vandalism of opportunity. Just don’t give them the opportunity. After
all, you probably don’t leave your front door unlocked or the keys in your car
all the time either. It is important to remember that locking your front door
does not prevent you from extending charity to people any more than securing
your well head does.
From the Survival Blog
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