Burying an artesian well below grade

Dmace · May 31, 2008

Hello all,

I am hoping someone out there as gone through putting their existing artesian well under grade and could shed some light on the process. I am widening the driveway and am sick of plowing around the well and having numerous people back into it because they cannot see it and it is in a bad spot.

I have a fairly new artesian well that was installed in the Spring of 2005 when the house was built and would like to bury it. I have heard that it needs to be in a cylindrical concrete casing and that the casing needs to have a 3"min PVC pipe set below the well cap and sloping out to air so that any shallow ground water does not penetrate the cap and contaminate my well water. Is there any thing else I need or have I been given false information on what needs to be done if it can be done at all? Any permits I need to apply for?

Any help is greatly appreciated as drilling a new well is not an option.

Below is a picture of the well, it is hard to tell from the angle but the well is practically in the middle of the secondary driveway leading to the shed on the right.

Click thumbnail for larger image, the well is under the blue bucket

If this can be done, using the tractor to dig around the well and install the concrete casing will certainly save a boat load of money. Another reason I am glad I got the backhoe.
Thanks in advance for any help

atgreene · Jun 1, 2008

It can be done, I've done several for my customers but there are several things to keep in mind. You will need access later, so it's best to use a riser and cover. If it's in a heavy vehicle traffic area you may need to use a heavier riser or vault, such as a catch basin style riser and cover. Talk to your local septic tank supplier, they can show you the options for risers.

Also, it needs to be drained so the well doesn't get water into it during high groundwater periods. The ones I have done we ran a 4" schd 45 drain out to a low point with a check valve to keep the critters out.

Also, be sure to write a description and draw a map on the foundation wall to it's location. I always do, as when I'm no longer around or am unavailable anyone can find it without making it look like a gopher field.

Good luck.

Egon · Jun 1, 2008

What type of casing do you have and at what pressure does the water come out at?

Dmace · Jun 1, 2008

atgreene said:
It can be done, I've done several for my customers but there are several things to keep in mind. You will need access later, so it's best to use a riser and cover. If it's in a heavy vehicle traffic area you may need to use a heavier riser or vault, such as a catch basin style riser and cover. Talk to your local septic tank supplier, they can show you the options for risers.

Also, it needs to be drained so the well doesn't get water into it during high groundwater periods. The ones I have done we ran a 4" schd 45 drain out to a low point with a check valve to keep the critters out.

Also, be sure to write a description and draw a map on the foundation wall to it's location. I always do, as when I'm no longer around or am unavailable anyone can find it without making it look like a gopher field.

Good luck.

Thanks for the information atgreene, I figure I will use a concrete cylinder like a dry well (without holes) and cover with handles so it is still accesible but buried about 12" under grade. I wasn't thinking of blocking the PVC pipe for critters, that is a good idea. Also, being a surveyor I am going to locate the well, house and shed and then register it at the County Deed registry along with my subdivision plan for future homeowners and surveyors.

Egon said:
What type of casing do you have and at what pressure does the water come out at?

Ha Ha!

I know everyone likes to call it something different, but I call your typical house pump well an artesian just because that is what most people refer to them as.

atgreene · Jun 1, 2008

We have a few around here that are try artesian. Pretty amazing to watch, some are over 50 gpm!

Biggest issue is that ground water doesn't flood the risers, good luck.

Egon · Jun 2, 2008

Everyones got me all confused again?

KAB · Jun 2, 2008

DMace,

My parents used to have their well in a pit, it used a "seal" to make sure that if the pit flooded that it would not contaminate the well. A few years back they had the well cleaned, casing extended and a "seal" (added a pitless adaptor for the water line) to cap the well and then filled the pit and covered the top of the casing.

Here is a website with what the seal looked liked: Aluminum well caps and cast iron well seals for water well pump installations. (second image) I have not seen what was used when the pit was filled and the casing covered.

Kurt

LBrown59 · Jun 2, 2008

Egon said:
Everyones got me all confused again?

It was easy!

plowking · Jun 3, 2008

The precast riser or cover should have a H20 load rating,incase any trucks back over it. I recently had a customer who extended their driveway over their septic tank,the tank was only load rated for the lawn,the propane truck backed over the new section of gravel drive,it fell thru into septic tank,homeowners insurance had to pay because truck was still technically on the driveway. plowking