Need water advice

[gcp]

Folks, the county water in no longer an option for me, long term, and if you could see the lay of my land I think you’d agree. For the record, the 3/4” PVC has provided great pressure over the 11 years I’ve used it. It was not a trickle at all and very satisfactory for showers and all other uses of water, within our mobile home and outdoors.

Having to request/purchase access from neighbors is not as preferable a solution to me when compared to being completely independent.

As stated in my original post, my new water connection will not be for drinking, we use nothing but bottled water when at the property. And if/when we sell, the new owners can improve, or not, the existing set up.

In rural Alabama I’m not bound by the strict regulations most of you have to abide by. Non-the-less, I will make absolutely sure our water is healthy for our weekend use (absent of pathogens, and filtered twice, e.g. prior to going into my cistern and prior to going into my house). I’ve already began looking into filtrations systems, UV, and auto chlorination.

I’ve discussed installation of a well with a local company, and expect the cost to be approx. $5K, which is not prohibitive at all, but I am still gathering data from all sides to assure I make the best and most cost effective decision for my case.

For the time I am leaning toward option 2. This weekend I’ll make needed measurements so we can precisely calculate involved flows for selecting the right pump, the required piping, how high I must elevate the cistern to allow gravity to feed the water rather than requiring a second pump at the output (and how to possibly utilize rain water, in addition to). BTW, I have a 25HP Yanmar tractor with a 5KW PTO driven generator so as an interim solution I can always power a submerged pond pump to push water to my cistern(s), until I can run permanent power to the pond.

I think I’ve answered most of your question, thanks again to all for your ideas and for taking the time to respond!

 

[LouNY]

I just read your post, your pond is fed from a pond / spring ? Is the spring part on your property? A pre cast dry well set in a spring on a gravel base will function like a dug well, install a 1/3 or 1/2hp submersible well pump in it run power in the same ditch with your pipe and you have a complete system. My dug well is 2 4 feet in diameter dry well tiles and 2 solid tiles for a 12 foot deep dug well with a concrete cover and a suspended pump works good, I also had to have a drilled well added for mortgage company and added capacity. Had it witched before we drilled.

 

[MossRoad]

What kind of soil do you have?
Is there rock under it?
How far down is your water table?

How about pounding in your own 2" well by hand using a sand point?

 

[gcp]

MossRoad, my water table shouldn't be too deep but I'd probably have sandstone to deal with. Please enlighten me on how to go about doing this.

 

[MossRoad]

Around here its all sand. So you can get a well sand point and sections of 2" pipe, couplings, and a post driver.

You screw on a sacrificial coupling to the well point and start driving it into the soil. When it goes in a couple feet, unscrew the sacrificial coupling, install a good coupling, install another section of pipe, put the sacrificail coupling on top, and pound some more. Repeat. Drive it down until you hit water.

 

[JB13502]

MossRoad, my water table shouldn't be too deep but I'd probably have sandstone to deal with. Please enlighten me on how to go about doing this.

Google “Driven Well”.... Lot’s of information. Might be the perfect fix!

 

[hawkeye08]

If you have some water now, perhaps drill your own well?

https://www.drillyourownwell.com/ and others (I googled "drill your own well").. I was thinking about doing an extra well myself, but the regulations and such do not allow it currently (at least where we are now).

 

[quicksandfarmer]

In lake country it's very common for people with lake-front cottages just to pull water out of the lake. A pipe running into the lake and a shallow well pump is all you need. Then either drink bottled water, or look into water treatment systems (chlorine or UV).

If you want to drill a well it varies tremendously depending on the local geology. In some parts of the country you can create a well using a pounding point and a held-held fence post pounder. In some parts you can jet a hole with a garden hose and a piece of PVC to make a serviceable well. In other places you have to drill through 600' of granite. Depending on your geology heavy equipment may not be necessary.

A local well-digger will know what to expect. Around here all new wells have to be registered with the state, how deep they are, how much they produce and what kind of soil they're in. If your state has something similar that may give you an idea of what's down there too.

 

[MossRoad]

Here's a link to one at Home Depot for comparison.

Water Source 2 in. x 36 in. Well Point-WPF368 - The Home Depot

There's a point, a driving coupling and a driving cap for less than $90. Then you'd add sections of pipe and couplings to go as deep as you want/need.

 

[gcp]

Great info guys, it looks like I've got much to read/learn, thank you very much!

 

[pmsmechanic]

From experience I know that a 300 gallon tank is lots of water for a week. In our house we use about 1800 US gallons every 7 weeks when the water trucks comes and fills the cistern again. If you are only using this place an weekends you don't need an elaborate setup.

I'd be tempted to bury a cistern by the house and fill it from your pond with a gas pump as necessary. You could bury the water line to the cistern. Or you could use your present water line to fill the cistern and just shut it off when you aren't filling the cistern.

$5K to have your own clean water well is mighty tempting though. If we could get water for that price here I'd do it.

 

[buickanddeere]

Pump from a pond, use a filter that you change regularly and install a high power/high flow UV sterilizer. Plug the UV unit into a UPS so in case the power goes off the water is still treated .
At the buildings . What is the soil type and how far down is the bedrock? How high is the water table ?

 

[Egon]

Be aware that water wells may have to be registered and constructed to some defined standards.

 

[buickanddeere]

KY I appreciate your suggestions but with all due respect the back and forth is not an option for us as I want a more permanent/easier solution for both my wife and myself.

Einthewoods, I know a well would be the preferable long term solution but in my case the costs involved will be much higher because of having to ask for access permission & cut a new road, in addition to cost of digging/installing a well.

Thomas, most neighbors are on county water, been told there's abundance of underground water and if I go 300 ft it should be pretty soft water. Truth is I'm surrounded by water, creeks and springs.....

Absolutely no need to drill a 300ft well into the rock to get sulphurous stinking water full of minerals. As previously stated will a sand point drive in ? As for someone who was around the Walkerton Water Disaster and personally know people who died or are crippled from contaminated water . Drinking untreated pond water is not a good idea .

 

[newbury]

OP - Do you have a roof at your site?
Rainwater collection can be REAL easy.
In your area and mine we get about 4.5 FEET of water annually.

Back in 2012 I set up an "auxillary" water source to provide an easy source of water for my sawmill and occasional washing of "stuff".


I put an old cracking foam cooler on top of a 265 gallon tote to catch runoff from my shed roofs. I put the tote on concrete blocks. I manually open the valve and draw needed water. Taylortractornut, a TBN'er, gave me the tote so my investment is ZERO. But the totes are often available on CL for about $50 in my area.

About 2 years ago my waterline from the mains to my house sprung a big leak, like a 1,000 gallons a day. So we turned the water off at the main. What with scheduling and finding good contractors we didn't get it replaced until last summer. Our situation is that we go down to Mississippi for a few months at a time, then back to Virginia for a few months.

Right after I discovered the leak and for a few days I'd fill up buckets down at the "rainwater tote" for flushing and non-potable uses.
BUT
I had another free tote from Taylor. I put that up on the house porch. I'd turn the water on when we NEEDED it. about once a week. The wife would run a few loads of clothes, we'd run the dishwasher, shower and bathe, top off the tote, fill some 5 gallon jugs for potable water (drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes). Then turn off the water. Usually the water was on for less than 4 hours and we would only go through about 300 gallons, and probably 200 of that at least was leaking out.

The rest of the time I would carry buckets from the tote on the porch to where needed. Biggest use was flushing the toilet. Second was probably mopping and car washing. Didn't want to trust the "tote" water as potable water, probably could have.

Didn't want to put any effort into collecting rainwater in the "house" tote, wasn't worth the effort.

We operated like that for probably about 8 months of "being" there. It was a little like being at camp.

We got the water line from the main fixed last summer.

I'd suggest EVERYONE have a potable 300 gallon tote for an EMERGENCY tank at least.

 

[gcp]

buickanddeere, I agree with your logic but as I've stated I'm fact finding until I make my final decision. Truth be told, if I can find the break I can repair it and use it only to fill the totes (after piping them into the house directly), while turning off/emptying the mile long pipe during heavy winter months.

newbury, I've had a tote just like yours for close to 5 years, as back up water and did exactly as you, I filled it from the main with a water hose, filled it once in the past 5 years and have used it the last couple of weekends for flushing and French baths. I will probably buy a second tote so as to have close to 600 galls available to me. What I've also noticed is that even though the water freezes within the integrity of the tank is still in tact. I need to find a coupling for its quarter turn faucet so I can install a water hose for easier water transport to the house.

 

[gcp]

buickanddeere, I agree with your logic but as I've stated I'm fact finding until I make my final decision. Truth be told, if I can find the break I can repair it and use it only to fill the totes (after piping them into the house directly), while turning off/emptying the mile long pipe during heavy winter months.

newbury, yes, I have a barn and the mobile home/screen room who all have metal roofs so collecting rain water should be a breeze. I've had a tote just like yours for close to 5 years, as back up water and did exactly as you, e.g. I filled it from the main with a water hose (filled it once in the past 5 years and it's still half full) and have only used it for emergencies and the last couple of weekends for flushing and French baths. I expect that I'll buy a second tote so as to have close to 600 galls available to me at all times since I've noticed that even though the water freezes within the container the integrity of the tank is still in tact. I can always drop a heating element in them for the winter months I guess but for the time I'll need to locate/purchase a coupling for its quarter turn faucet so I can install a water hose for easier water transport to the house.

 

[CobyRupert]

1) A pump at the house, where the power is, runs into the problem of maximum (suction) lift (~25'). Wouldn't a jet pump at the house , with a loop down to the pond, work in a situation like this?
2) Drill truck rigs can get to a lot of locations as long as there's no light duty bridges.

 

[turnkey4099]

Folks, the county water in no longer an option for me, long term, and if you could see the lay of my land I think you壇 agree. For the record, the 3/4 PVC has provided great pressure over the 11 years I致e used it. It was not a trickle at all and very satisfactory for showers and all other uses of water, within our mobile home and outdoors.

Having to request/purchase access from neighbors is not as preferable a solution to me when compared to being completely independent.

As stated in my original post, my new water connection will not be for drinking, we use nothing but bottled water when at the property. And if/when we sell, the new owners can improve, or not, the existing set up.

In rural Alabama I知 not bound by the strict regulations most of you have to abide by. Non-the-less, I will make absolutely sure our water is healthy for our weekend use (absent of pathogens, and filtered twice, e.g. prior to going into my cistern and prior to going into my house). I致e already began looking into filtrations systems, UV, and auto chlorination.

I致e discussed installation of a well with a local company, and expect the cost to be approx. $5K, which is not prohibitive at all, but I am still gathering data from all sides to assure I make the best and most cost effective decision for my case.

For the time I am leaning toward option 2. This weekend I値l make needed measurements so we can precisely calculate involved flows for selecting the right pump, the required piping, how high I must elevate the cistern to allow gravity to feed the water rather than requiring a second pump at the output (and how to possibly utilize rain water, in addition to). BTW, I have a 25HP Yanmar tractor with a 5KW PTO driven generator so as an interim solution I can always power a submerged pond pump to push water to my cistern(s), until I can run permanent power to the pond.

I think I致e answered most of your question, thanks again to all for your ideas and for taking the time to respond!

Looks like you have all your ducks in a row for option 2! At 5K for a drilled well, I would be tempted to go that way for simplicity, maintenance in the future, possilbe subdivision, resale value, etc.

I may have missed it but what legal easement do you have for your road access. If it isn't documented, now, not later, is time to get that process started. If needed you will probably meet the state 'squatters rights' laws to establish the legality of it.

 

[CobyRupert]

Look into a jet pump, and ballast tank, located at your barn or house, where the power is.