How to build a spring box

[Michele Amico]

Larry,
Thanks for your input.
I know there is more of the spring to find because it does seep out to the surface in a couple places above where I've dug. But it's very rocky ground, and it's kinda steep, very wooded, no chance of heavy equipment up there. Maybe I could get a quad runner up there some day if I clear another 500 linear feet of thick head-high brush. I've already cleared 2000 feet of brush, where I'll lay the pipe.

I can't dig deeper, hit solid bed rock already, I can dig a bit further back into the spring though. I'll try that. I had a very well reputed dowser come and tell me where to dig. He only charged $100 for 4 hours of walking around my several acres.

I will use the black plastic pipe. I was intending on using 1". I have a good 200 ft of head. It flows about 2 gal/ minute. That ought to be enough. But since I can't dig deeper I'm concerned that my spring box will only fill up about 4 inches deep. I guess that would still work if I put the outlet pipe down very low on the spring box. I'll probably use a 30 gallon food-grade plastic barrel as a spring box. I used a 5 gal. plastic bucket with 1/4 inch holes in the side as a test. It filled up 4" deep. So that's my problem right now, getting the water to fill up the spring box and flow.

Anyway, I really appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks.

 

[Michele Amico]

I have a neighbor who has close to your situation. We're get very cold winters here and he has a line above ground. The trick is that he keeps the line open so the water runs off into a stream. You could do something similar. You'd need a holding tank in the basement with a run off line to keep the water moving.
With your hight (head) you can easily run 3/4" black plastic pipe with no problems with the holding tank in the basement. Try to keep it as simple as possible. Since you have some time before you'll be there permanently you can see how viable the system is. I'd say forget about burying pipe over that distance for now, they do make small trenchers for burying cable but I wouldn't look into that until I exhausted simpler solutions.

Rob

Yeah, all that sounds like it'll work for me. I won't even need the holding tank in the basement - no basement anyway - I already have a 2500 gallon tank and when that fills to capacity it can drain off the top into a 1" pipe that runs down to a creek. That 1" pipe is already in place - it's what I currently use to fill that tank by pumping water out of the creek with a 5 HP, gas powered Honda pump. That's our current water supply, but we don't drink it. Hence the need for the spring development.
Thanks again.
Michele.

 

[atpchas]

Michele,

Our setup in the hills above Napa is similar to yours. The spring is almost a mile from the house but much higher than the house. The 1" black hose that was run over 50 years ago is still holding up well. It has been patched and short sections spliced in over the years but 99% is original installation.

Our spring box also only gets a few inches deep but it runs into a holding tank slightly below the spring. I think the current tank is 1000 gal (plastic, not sure which kind but approved for potable water). It is the third tank there - 2 wooden ones died of old age.

We have not yet had a problem with freezing, even during the extended hard freeze we had a few winters ago. The black hose was on the surface when laid but is now under a a layer of forest duff for most of its length which helps when the weather is cold.

Good luck and I hope your water is as tasty as ours.

Charlie

 

[Michele Amico]

Thanks Charlie,
I only get to work on this project every couple weeks. Made progress this past weekend. Plan to use a 2" plactic pipe with 3/16 holes drilled in it. I submerged that into the 4" of water and it did begin to channel the water down to where I'll put my collection tank. Any thought on how to keep the sediment out of the 3/16 inch holes? I figure on laying plastic sheeting on the bottom of the hole, then wire screen, then gravel, then the 2" pipe, more gravel, flop the screen over the top, flop the plastic over that and cover with earth.

Can't wait to get this going.
Appreciate the help I've gotten on this forum.
Michele.

 

[/pine]

Any thought on how to keep the sediment out of the 3/16 inch holes?

Have you considered using a (fine screened) well point ?

also a second "settling tank" is what I use...fed from the over-flow (top) of the initial tank that is fed from the bottom... to do this there needs to be enough grade for gravity to feed the second tank... most of the solids remain in the initial tank...ours about 250 gal... this is all before our main supply (1100 gal) tank....

 

[CurlyDave]

I'll probably use a 30 gallon food-grade plastic barrel as a spring box.

I have heard that the tub from a discarded washing machine makes a pretty good spring box. Try to get a stainless one.

 

[vsumoski]

I have heard that the tub from a discarded washing machine makes a pretty good spring box. Try to get a stainless one.

Great Idea!

 

[Rob-D]

Have you considered using a (fine screened) well point ?

also a second "settling tank" is what I use...fed from the over-flow (top) of the initial tank that is fed from the bottom... to do this there needs to be enough grade for gravity to feed the second tank... most of the solids remain in the initial tank...ours about 250 gal... this is all before our main supply (1100 gal) tank....

I never thought of a second settling tank, almost like a prefilter. Good idea!

Rob