installing a dug well

   / installing a dug well
  • Thread Starter
#21  
rambler said:
I've never ever heard of drainage water being dumped into a well;

you raise a good point (for the life of me, i can't fathom why i neglected to think about this): if the water being channeled to the well is rain water (combined with a high water table from a spring), would it matter if we're using it for spot irrigation?

i realize you can't use this water for drinking, but what about using it to water row crops?

thx for the input!
pf
 
   / installing a dug well #22  
Since you are using a shallow dug well for the drainage, and you are not using the water for drinking, I don't see how that is a problem. In some ways this is like using the dug well as a cistern.

The dug well is using surface water filtered through the upper soil. Rain water that falls on the soil surface is likely in your well the same day. All you are doing is moving surface water around.

You would never want to direct drainage water into a drilled deep well, though. You might pollute the local aquifer and even if you aren't using the well for drinking, your neighbors might be using the aquifer for drinking.

Our area has numerous springs. Last year I put in french drains under my barn thinking that it was always wet due to lack of drainage of rainwater. At the same time I dug a 4 foot trench for a livestock waterer running from under the barn out into the neighboring field.

When digging the trench, it filled up with a foot of water overnight. It turns out that there was a small spring under the barn. I ended the trench with a french drain out into the field because standing water is bad for the livestock water system. I "daylighted" the pipe on a downslope so that I'd have access in case it needed to be snaked in the future. Now I have a dry barn basement and a continuous spring fed puddle in the field that stays liquid even in the winter.

The funny things is that the cows prefer to drink from the puddle all winter rather than the waterer.
 
   / installing a dug well
  • Thread Starter
#23  
jazzdaddy said:
Since you are using a shallow dug well for the drainage, and you are not using the water for drinking, I don't see how that is a problem. In some ways this is like using the dug well as a cistern.

The dug well is using surface water filtered through the upper soil. Rain water that falls on the soil surface is likely in your well the same day. All you are doing is moving surface water around.

You would never want to direct drainage water into a drilled deep well, though. You might pollute the local aquifer and even if you aren't using the well for drinking, your neighbors might be using the aquifer for drinking.

Our area has numerous springs. Last year I put in french drains under my barn thinking that it was always wet due to lack of drainage of rainwater. At the same time I dug a 4 foot trench for a livestock waterer running from under the barn out into the neighboring field.

When digging the trench, it filled up with a foot of water overnight. It turns out that there was a small spring under the barn. I ended the trench with a french drain out into the field because standing water is bad for the livestock water system. I "daylighted" the pipe on a downslope so that I'd have access in case it needed to be snaked in the future. Now I have a dry barn basement and a continuous spring fed puddle in the field that stays liquid even in the winter.

The funny things is that the cows prefer to drink from the puddle all winter rather than the waterer.



sounds like i experienced the same situation you ran into.. as you mentioned, southern NH has LOTS of springs (i'm in the s/w portion of the state). i stopped counting when i realized the large number of springs was enough to satisfy my water needs.

i'm going to send you a PM; after reading your BIO, it appears that we share the same hobbies.

i'll post pics of the project later this week.

cheers.
pf
 

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