Need thoughts on digging a well

[Beltane]

Since our barn and animals are quite a distance away from the water at our house, we have been thinking about digging a well down by the barn. (Lugging all the water from the house on a kids sled this winter made me decide that something had to be done!)

Two of our neighbors have backhoes that I'm sure would help us out. I know that we would need some of those large circular concrete tiles to line it with, and perhaps a few loads of gravel around the outside of the concrete tiles. Luckily, the water table is quite high where we have with numerous natural springs, so I was thinking that we would only have to go down about 8 or 12 feet. The water would only be used for our animals.

What do you think? Has anyone else done this? If so, are there any good books or websites that you can recommend? Thanks!!!

[agmantoo]

Far cheaper and less problematic to run a line from the house. Maintaining one well is enough, why would you want a second one if you did not have to have it?

[airotciv]

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Far cheaper and less problematic to run a line from the house. Maintaining one well is enough, why would you want a second one if you did not have to have it?

Must agree, If one well can supply the water, I would just run a line from the house. Much easier than dealing with another well.

[buffalocreek]

I dug a well about 30 ft. deep in my backyard to put a pitcher pump on. My water level is about 20 ft. Here's how I did it thru recommendations from a water well guy who helped me out with it.

You first need a source of water under pressure, like running a long hose from your house water system if that is possible. Your soil also has to be fairly sandy and not heavy clay. You buy several 8' lengths of 3/4 inch galvanized water pipe totaling the length you want the well. Buy an adapter that will allow you to connect the water hose to the the pipe threads. You will also need a sandpoint with screen and a gadget that goes just above the sandpoint that allows water to flow up but not back down (clack valve?) if you are going to use a hand pump.

Turn on the water and start working the pipe downward into the soil, working it up and down, letting the water force the soil out. When the first section is down, connect the second (and others) and continue till your at your depth. Hopefully you won't hit something hard, but if you do, start over somewhere else.

Now comes the tricky part. You have to pull the sections back up hoping the wall won't collapse (here's where drillers clay might help), in order to attach the sandpoint and valve to the end of the pipe (keep water on for this). Then work the attached sandpoint and following sections back down the hole with the water on.

I hope this makes sense. You might run this past a well driller for more help and suggestions than I can give.

Good luck
Bruce

[Windy in Kansas]

#1 For water that shallow get a driving point and put in a well with that method.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...es/DD0951.html

#2 For water that shallow get an auger and extensions and auger the hole to the needed depth and then install perforated casing with solid casing above the perforated sections.

With any method provide the correct sanitary seal at ground level in order to prevent contamination.

[NYSaanen]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

#
With any method provide the correct sanitary seal at ground level in order to prevent contamination.

In my humble opinion, a sanitary seal at ground level is going to do zip to prevent contamination. If one is only going down 8-12 feet for water, the water is likely going to be contaminated anyway. Around here, I would have no well done without having at least 35 feet of solid casing. Surface water should filter through that much earth in order to clean it up.

[Beltane]

Hello All ~

Thanks for your responses!

We actually currently have two drilled wells - both serve our apartments and house. Unfortunately, because we have two rental units, we had to place the barn quite a distance away (about a football field, I guess) from our home and existing wells. We would also have to go through our paved driveway, which we didn't want to. (The driveway was paved when we purchased our home 10 years ago and we'll never have the money to replace it, so that's why we were hoping to not have to go under it).

Our front yard is about an acre and a half and that is where all of our gardening takes palace. From there it slops down to our pond, and the barn is in between. I thought that the ground would 'clean' any contaminated runoff that was around, but we are lucky and live in pretty clean environment. (40 acres).

Thanks for your thoughts and observations...I'll keep researching.

[Beltane]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

#1 For water that shallow get a driving point and put in a well with that method.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...es/DD0951.html

#2 For water that shallow get an auger and extensions and auger the hole to the needed depth and then install perforated casing with solid casing above the perforated sections.

With any method provide the correct sanitary seal at ground level in order to prevent contamination.

Thank you - this crossed our minds as well.