Old Wells - Part II

[N80]

We just had a recent thread about a girl falling into a well and it seems to me this is a very important safety issue. I was surprised at how many people said they had old open wells on their property. I mentioned mine also and I thought I'd share some pics of it and see if anyone else has any ideas. Remember, I can't really get to it with the tractor. I could cut a path to it through the smaller trees if I had to.

Here is a pic of what the whole thing looks like:

Here is a shot from the 'front' side and you can see how the ground is crumbling all around it. The concrete cap is completely crumbled here and there are even erosion holes out past the edge of the concrete.

Here is a shot looking over the edge. You can see the train rails that hold up the original rock wall of the well. I'm assuming the concrete pad and walls were added much later. You can see that they were set on what appears to be some sort of scraper blade edges. You can also see how badly it has eroded around the top.

Here is a shot straight down. I've measured it and it is around 35 feet to the bottom of the water. There have been times when it has been bone dry and it seems odd to me that there is water in it now during one of the worst droughts ever for this area. (I hope that is a good sign for my real well?) However, the water only seems to be about 2 feet deep right now.

The dimensions are about 4x5 feet at the top and get a little narrower as it goes down. I cannot imagine how hard it was to dig that thing and it is obviously hand dug!

I think someone could survive a fall into it and the cap and walls would generally prevent anyone from stumbling into it. My concern is that someone might go to look in and the cement cap, and maybe even the whole thing, would collapse and fall in with them. Not much chance of surviving that.

My B-I-L just recommends putting a fence around it. That might be the best bet. It would take a lot of dirt to fill that thing in as in 35x4x5 feet worth.

Any other ideas or experiences with this sort of thing?

 

[SnowRidge]

I have no idea if this is applicable to where you are, but some states have well abandonment rules, as in thou shalt do this and that if a well is abandoned. There are even well drillers that will handle the process -- for a fee, of course.

My guess is that type of well has to be filled. Probably, the rest of it could then be knocked down.

Your state web site might have some info.

 

[Slacker]

N80,

I've got a well almost like yours, fortunately I can get to it with the tractor.
Each time I go into my field I throw a few rocks in the bucket. The well is about 1/2 full now. You must have a rock pile somewhere that needs to disappear.

 

[N80]

I got lots of rocks, but I'm making fire pits and walls (fences) with them! I've got an awesome fire ring made of the rocks that used to be the foundation of the house that once sat next to the well.

 

[Defective]

I'd think about testing the water, then fill or repair as indicated...

If it's fill, cut that trail for your tractor. It's worth it for the safety.

If it's fix, cut that trail for your tractor. It's worth it to have a nice old fashioned dug well. But, it's gotta be safe.

 

[MossRoad]

The dimensions are about 4x5 feet at the top and get a little narrower as it goes down....

That's about 25 yards of material, should you choose to fill it in.

I would fence it off ASAP for piece of mind, then come up with a plan.

Do you want to keep it open for use?

 

[bigballer]

for reference in my county one is to go through the process of decommissioning an abondoned well which includes permits and inspections. my friend who is in the well pump business said it typically costs around $2k for an official decomm.

of course if the well is not on record with the county, then...

 

[Egon]

As a well I'd say it has seen it's time. Now it is just a hole in the ground.

From pictures its very hard to tell the stability of the top cement surround and how big the top of the hole is.

Fencing is fine but they are climbable and will invite some of the curious to see whats on the other side.

I'd advise a tractor width trail to the well head and then fill it in. The amount of fill required is not that great. Biggest job is getting the concrete top and surround moved so the filling can began. For that portion of the job a backhoe would be nice.

 

[jimmysisson]

Maybe a path for the tractor would be simplest. Someone was evidently able to get to it with at least a cement mixer, plus steel, etc. back when it was built, so maybe there's the trace of the old way in. I think you're faced with filling it in just for peace of mind. Don't know how near it is to your house - a fall-in critter would stink up the joint, too!
As remodelers we find old wells fairly often (New England). Most are beautiful examples of stone-laying craftsmanship, some brick, many dry. It's a shame to fill them in but the only safe response. If you were in business and came across something like this in a customer's yard, you'd say the same, more than likely.
Jim

 

[Redbug]

That looks like a really neat well you have there George. I wonder what is in the bottom of it. You never know what neat artifacts may have fallen or been thrown into it. I am a metal detector nut. Maybe you can lower one of those strong magnets on a rope and pull up any ferrous metal it attracts and see what's down there.

Otherwise..the well is a liability and I would cover/fill it. I know we can't spend all our time worrying about stuff...but you would not want someone accidently falling in, (even if they are trespassing).

 

[AlanB]

I guess I am the nut on this one again.

If I found it on my property, I would make tractor access too it, fence, and neatly cap in with the thought that I may have a use for it one day.

Guess I read Alas Babylon too early in my youth, and grew up where the story was written.

That, or a shallow well pump to water my garden might go there, along with a Wishing well type surround.

Either way though, I think a big open hole like that is a liability that I would want protected, and being the lazy man I am, it would be done with the tractor or back hoe

 

[riptides]

I guess I am the nut on this one again.

Nope. I'd keep it. People are scrambling for water sources in some parts of the country. One just never knows. Having just been living through the most serious drought in my short time, I was comforted in the thought of having a hand pump well available for our uses.

I'd make it safe (access, water tested, structural) and have it for a contingency plan.

-Mike Z.

 

[bucmeister]

If you think you might want water out of it one day you may want to consider altering it in this way. Get a few feet of 4" PVC well screen (usually come in 10' sections) set it and enough 4" solid to get past the ground level then fill the first 5-10' with creek run sand/gravel mix (above the top of the screen) then top with dirt fill. Then you would have a potential shallow well for a small jet pump. Of course this will be as much if not more work than just filling it in, but would save some usefullness.

 

[N80]

I'm not particularly inclined to save it, especially if it costs money. As mentioned, it is often dry. I've used a sealed beam light to look down when it is dry and there is nothing in there (above the surface of the bottom of the well anyway).

As for dead animals, there always seems to be a dead rat or possum in it. It stinks right now but I could not see a carcass.

As for a water resource, I have a new, 280 foot well nearby that is doing good (for now). I'm not sure this one would add anything to that. If the end times come and there is no electricity I could always put a hand pump on the new well.

Twenty five yards seems like a good bit of material to me. I'm not sure where I'd get that much. I wonder how much a big dump truck full of generic 'dirt' would cost? There aren't too many areas on my place that I'd want to dig that much, at least not anywhere near the well site.

I think I may clear a path and try to get the cap to fall in using the FEL. Then maybe put a fence around it. I think a hole that is well marked and fenced will be less dangerous than a cap that is caving in. The other possibility would be to rent a backhoe and try to get the cap and stuff off without it falling into the well.

That way I'd still be able to send my B-I-L down on a rope to look for the Confederate gold that he is convinced is down there. Redbug, maybe we can send him down with your metal detector. We can keep it on a separate rope so that even if we don't get him back up, we can get your detector back.

Finally, anyone have any guess as to how old this sort of hand dug well might be? This area has been settled since before the Revolution but I'm assuming as late as the early 1900's people were probably still digging wells by hand. My B-I-L remembers his dad burning the old house down in the early 1960's. I have no idea if it was the original house on this site or not. The foundation was made of stones. There are metal and pottery fragments all over the place. No idea how old.

 

[LBrown59]

It would take a lot of dirt to fill that thing in as in 35x4x5 feet worth.

It would also be the safest.

 

[SnowRidge]

Just fill it with water and throw some carp in.

 

[LBrown59]

It would take a lot of dirt to fill that thing in

Just throw all your trash junk and refuse in it and quit paying a garbage bill.
When you get about 2 feet from the top buy enough fill dirt with the money you saved on the trash bill and fill it on up.

 

[hudr]

quote: <Just throw all your trash junk and refuse in it and quit paying a garbage bill.
When you get about 2 feet from the top buy enough fill dirt with the money you saved on the trash bill and fill it on up.>

:0

I wonder how many neighbors' wells have been ruined by this train of thought? Groundwater doesn't abide by property lines.

 

[SnowRidge]

quote: <Just throw all your trash junk and refuse in it and quit paying a garbage bill.
When you get about 2 feet from the top buy enough fill dirt with the money you saved on the trash bill and fill it on up.>

:0

I wonder how many neighbors' wells have been ruined by this train of thought? Groundwater doesn't abide by property lines.

Er, I'm pretty sure he was joking. Look at his previous post, which said filling it in would be the safest thing.

 

[hitekcountry]

Twenty five yards seems like a good bit of material to me.

If there is some part of your property where you would like to drop the grade a little all it would take is 4 inches deep from an area about 50' x 50' and you would have all you need to fill that well.