Building a house on an artesian well?

[Bison]

I say too,move the house or you'l be sorry.If you plug it off,pressure will build and spring a hole somewhere else close to it.
I would rather develop that well so its usable,there's nothing more satisfying than having your own water supply free of charge.

I have a developed artesian well that runs year round,i piped it to a cistern and pump from there to the house.
For the animals i piped it straight from the well to drinking troughs,no pump needed or electric,it never freezes either:thumbsup:

 

[jonyyuma]

Looks like a headache waiting to happen, water pressure can open up anywhere it wants....The last thing you want is a cracked --foundation. My boss knew better than anyone else, went ahead and built over an old pond.....Busted mess of a home now...

 

[tcartwri]

My Father unknowingly built a house on an artesian well in the 70's. It was eventually abandoned because they could not solve the water issues in the basement. If the power went out for any length of time, there would be a swimming pool in the basement within a couple of hours.

As was said earlier, the water is under pressure, and it will find it's way out eventually.

 

[Egon]

It's in geology of the area that counts and that we do not know.:thumbsup:

Many of you may not know it but you may be sitting on top of a formation containing pressurized water, oil, gas or a combination of all three. These could be existing in multiple layers in various combinations.

The water may be potable, contain salt or dissolved gasses.

Water may reside in a connate aquifer or have an aquifer open to the ground surface. The aquifers may be a few feet below the ground surface or hundreds of feet deep. And there are other types than the two mentioned.

If the ground surface in the area is wet then perhaps there may be breaks in under ground formations allowing water to the surface.

If it's dry the chances are the well can be sealed off.

As for knowing if there will be sinkholes underneath that may take a fellow is quite familiar with the local ground formations.:thumbsup:

 

[Jeff Lary]

you got a good well dont ruin it ,move the house 20' left ,right ,back, foward ...whatever but i would save the well at all costs.Thats just one Mainers opinion. Good luck

 

[Johnp33]

If you build on top of an artesian water source, you would have to seal the foundation and floor or have a severe moisture problem in the building.
An artesian well that is tapped somewhere else, and drained, or even the preasure reduced, can cause the surface of your property to drop.
The artesian well can break loose near your property, and cause a sink hole.
Water is a blessing when you need it and a curse :thumbsup:when it does what it wants.

 

[lizl]

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Thanks to you all who have given your insight!!!
As to the well, it is a drilled well, apparently 250-450 ft deep. No permits were ever pulled on it, so we don't know why it was drilled (probably irrigation for an old large estate??)
I've been told by various drillers, and the Dept. of River Management, that it's drilled through limestone at the bottom. The land in the area is flat, and about 1/2 mile from the ocean (Just south of Jacksonville Beach, Fl.).
The lot is not very large, that's why we think the footprint'll need to be over the well (unless it's a crazy zig-zag custom design...).
The development has about 16 houses built in 1998. No one knows of any problems w/the lot, or our prop....but the lots abutting ours, 5 in a row, where we are building, are empty....
I would like to actually use the well (irragation only), but don't think our house will fit that way.
Can we channel the well to the back of the prop.? I'm VERY worried about the idea of sealing it, and then have it sprout elsewhere-under our home!!!
Tx.!!

 

[SARG]

For what it's worth ... I know of a couple new homes up here in the Northeast that have their drilled wells actually in the cellars.... by design.

 

[Western]

For what it's worth ... I know of a couple new homes up here in the Northeast that have their drilled wells actually in the cellars.... by design.

I have seen that too, several times. I think the OP will need to have the builder and water drillers meet on the lot. In a situation like this you can't beat "boots" on the ground.

From what little I know, seems an odd location for A. well (elevation)

 

[lizl]

For whatever reason...no one is on the same page around here.
Our builder is not comfortable about building "on the well"...Our drillers see no reason not to build, once filled properly...The county isn't hesitant...But no one is working together!