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 | Glenn Fitzgerald
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2002-06-16 39586
I have an area on the side of a hill that produces cold water year-round. I dug it out and formed a little basin that is always filled. I would like to make a collecting system so that I can use the water down the hill(about 200') to a cabin.
How should the collection box be constructed?
What size box and pipe should be used to obtain a reasonable pressure?
Are there any usefull websites that have this kind of information?
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| DavidJ
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 62 Alabama
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2002-06-16 39587
I would like to know a bit more info on this.
1) Is this natural or was it bored?
2) What is the vertical difference between the cabin and the well? (I assume the well is higher)
3) What kind of uses do you expect to use the water for?
4) Most artesian wells are loaded with minerals will this cause you any problems?
Now for a bit of information. 1 psi equals 27.70 inches of water. That means, for gravity feed, if you want 10 psi you need to raise the water tank to a height of 277" (~23') above the outlet. If this is not practical you can place a pump at the collection vessel to provide you with the pressure you require. as for construction of the vessel if you're planning to place it in the well most people use wood, you'll be amazed how long it will last if submerged. I've also seen fiberglass used. I even saw a guy bury a galvanized steel drum in one once, I'm not sure how long it lasted but if you don't scratch the coating it should last for many years. If you plan on elevating it above grade then I would use a standard glass lined water tank.
I hope this helps a bit. ....
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| Glenn Fitzgerald
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2002-06-16 39594
David, Thanks for replying, I'll try to provide more info.
#1.The well is natural,I noticed the area awhile back but it wasn't until a very hot and dry summer that it remained very wet-that I thought it may have potential to provide water.
#2 The well would be approximately 200'above my cabin location. Unfortunately, I'll need to pipe the water horizontally about 300' across the hill.Is this possible?
#3. I would like to use the water for washing-showering and possibly for drinking,although I'll need to have the Health dept.test it for bacteria...
#4. The minerals that may be present shouldn't be a problem.
Would the container have the bottom partially removed?
Is it the gravity pressure of the water from higher on the hill that fills the tank?
Is it necessary to filter the water before it enters the tank with sand or possibly gravel?
Is it best to place the water outlet from the containment vessel in the middle of the water level within the vessel? ....
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2002-06-17 39604
It sounds like what I'd call a spring rather than an artesian well. There are bunches of springs around here and some are used for drinking water, but I don't think a health departments would 'certify' one and I'd certainly never advise anybody to use one for drinking. Using spring-water or dug well water for that matter, for drinking is a little tricky. There's always the possibility of a spill or flood somewhere that contaminates the surface water table. However, we do use a spring near our camp sometimes. A well half-tile was sunk so the collected water is deep enough to dip without stirring up sand.
The trick to using spring water is that the spring should have a good flow rate so water doesn't sit in a collection basin for long and the basin should be very close to the source of the spring. The water shouldn't be stored for long either. Basically, you don't have to worry much about sand filtering if the water is collected near the source, because it probably was already running for miles through sand. However, running water through any appreciable length of pipe invites bacterial contamination.
What you want to do seems basically feasible but with a few problems. In fact the previous owner of our house ran 2" drain pipe from a spring to a well tile near his boat and used it to keep minnows. The trick is that water won't run across a horizontal pipe unless it has a 'head' above the pipe. A 4% grade is good for drainage--less might work for a water feed. However, you do need maybe 8' of drop in 200' to get the water to the side of your hill. It doesn't make any difference if the drop is entirely at the front end of a pipe or if the pipe is run on a grade angle. The drop has to be there. The guy with the minnow trap made rock piles of descending height to get the water to the well tile.
If the spring has good flow, a holding tank wouldn't be needed. Just pipe out of a collection basin, across the flat and down the hill. However, 200' plus 8' for to get across the flat is going to provide 80 - 90 lbs. pressure at the building, which might be more than is desirable. However, unless fairly large diameter pipe is used, there may not be a lot of pressure or flow when a tap is open. An open ended standpipe installed in the pipe part way down the hill would reduce the pressure but also would provide a new stream down the hill.
....
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| DavidJ
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 62 Alabama
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2002-06-17 39620
> David, Thanks for replying, I'll try to provide more
> info.
> #1.The well is natural
> #2 The well would be approximately 200'above my cabin
> location. Unfortunately, I'll need to pipe the water
> horizontally about 300' across the hill.Is this possible?
It is certainly possible. The only constraint is to never let the pipe rise above the outlet point.
If you have a 200' difference in level you're going to have about 85 psig water pressure at the cabin. You may need a regulator to lower the pressure if you run the piping directly to the cabin from the spring.
What I would suggest, if convienient, is to locate a holding tank about 115' above the cabin with a float valve on the inlet to keep it full. That will give you about 50 psig at the cabin. I would use 1" or larger piping.
> #3. I would like to use the water for washing-showering
> and possibly for drinking,although I'll need to have
> the Health dept.test it for bacteria...
That sounds good if you can get the health dept to accept it.
>#4. The minerals that may be present shouldn't be a
> problem.
> Would the container have the bottom partially removed?
No, just dig down in front of the spring and sink the collector in there so the water will flow into it.
>Is it the gravity pressure of the water from higher on
> the hill that fills the tank?
Yes.
> Is it necessary to filter the water before it enters
> the tank with sand or possibly gravel?
It might be a good idea, though usually not necessary.
> Is it best to place the water outlet from the containment > vessel in the middle of the water level within the vessel?
I would say lower third. but it depends on your site. ....
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 | Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2002-07-10 40242
Our house in KY was feed from a spring. It was also on a hillside but the spring was not that much higher than the house there for it was pumped horizonally 500' or more.
We used a cement septic tank as the cistern. The water from the spring ran into the cement tank and over flowed on the other end. The size of the inlet and out let were reduced.
I would think that if you had a segmented tank then you could put a hole with screen in the bottom of the segment fill the inlet side with sand and filter the water this way. If the water is undisturbed I don't know if you need it. Does it get murky with high rain?
The main problem with a spring is keeping animals out of the water. An enclosed tank helps.
The spring in KY had been used for drinking for many years. We had it tested once in a while, same as you do with a well. ....
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| MRETHICS
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 190 Star City, Indiana
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2002-07-10 40243
I have a book at home called "The Foxfire Book". It has many volumes. It was a research book completed by High School students in NE Goerga, In this book you will find a variaty of old time ways of doing almost anything. There is an entire chapter dedicated to springhouses. I suggest you check it out at your local library. or check out this link. ....
Link: foxfire
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| DavidJ
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 62 Alabama
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2002-07-10 40250
I have most of the volumes of the Foxfire set and, you're right they have lots of good advice on doing most everyday things. They are great books. ....
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