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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2022 21:29 - Edited by: DaveBell
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I found a full time spring on my property. It's only a trickle so far but I plan on using Sgt Rock to dig it down further to see if the flow improves. I had a booked marked web site youtube with a spring developing guy who did remote stuff for folks but I can't find it now. He said you got to put in clay so far above to keep critter poop out.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2022 21:32
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcfPFT7Z2pE
Hauling spring water.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 6 Nov 2022 18:05
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Our primary water source is a seasonal spring. We used no extra clay becids the ground it's on. I made a dam wall out of a sheet of stainless with a 1.5in PVC going through it to collect the water up hill in a stone bed. Then it goes into the pvc pipe, into a 55gal barrel I made a spring box from. It gets all the estimate out of it which isnt much of any. I have seen this spring run at 5gpm and nothing for months.
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Tim_Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 09:14 - Edited by: Tim_Ohio
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I collect water from a spring on my property. It comes out of a hill side through sandstone formations tilted in the direction of the the flow. Even though it's probably free of contaminants, I always boil it at a full boil for two minutes if it is to be consumed, either hot for coffee or cold for drinking. The kettle is filled for making hot coffee in the morning and what is not used sits to cool and is transferred to a drinking water jug. I collect it off of the end of a pipe that flows out of the spring and I cover the end with pantyhose. There might still be a bit of sediment and it settles on the bottom of the drinking waster jug over time. I've had not problems using this safety method of consumption. It's surprising how you pay more attention to the taste of water comparing city to spring or well when you know a source.
Good luck with developing it. It's one of the nicest features of my property that I can appreciate.
Tim_Ohio
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 10:45
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Quoting: Brettny Our primary water source is a seasonal spring
When you get a chance, could you post some pics of the whole system please.
Thanks,
Dave
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 10:47
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Quoting: Tim_Ohio It comes out of a hill side through sandstone formations
When you get a chance, could you post some pics please.
Thanks,
Dave
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Tim_Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 11:14
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The spring had a U-shaped concrete structure in front of it, designed to trap the sand from the flow, not unlike a more modern spring box. I covered it with a roof, to protect it from the weather. However, even though the box collected and held the water it proved to be not as clean as I wanted. I opened up the end and let the water flow through the concrete structure. Then, up into the hill-side and rock, I noticed the water was trickling out of the rock (not unlike a small cave). So, to get the cleanest water I could, I took a plastic dish pan and put a hole in it to accept a 1 1/2 inch pipe. The pan sits up in the cave area and collects only the water dripping out of the rock, before it makes contact with the ground. The pipe is then extended out of the box for convenience where I can set a jug under the flow and cover the end of the pipe with pantyhose while I collect the water. Attached is pictures of the lay of the land and a close up of where the cave is along with others. Most people would be more likely in need of a gravel bed and plastic spring box, unlike here.
Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of the dish pan and pipe I installed.
spring layout
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spring box cover
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cave-like area in hillside
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Tim_Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 11:17
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Initially, I allowed the sand trap/basin to fill enough to have enough flow to run a RAM pump, thinking I might like to move the water without an electric pump. It was a lot of fun to play with. The RAM pump did move the water, but I could not really rely on a sufficient seasonal volume. The concrete enclosure leaked a lot of the spring below. I tried to seal it up with bentonite clay, but that failed to solve the problem.
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Tim_Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 11:18
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Sorry I don't have better pics.
Tim
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 11:21
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Our water comes out of a small creek about 2500 feet from the cabin. Intake is a slotted liner pipe (what they put in wells) covered with a nylon "sock" that sits in a puddle in the creek. Gravity fed through 1" poly pipe to the cabin where it goes through a sediment filter (common at any box store) and then a ceramic filter (Doulton is the brand). Each filter fits in a standard water filter holder, easily obtained at a box store. Very little sediment comes down the line so I only change the sediment filter once a season. The ceramic filter will eliminate virtually all pathogens (but it will NOT eliminate dissolved things like heavy metals) and is reusable - just needs brushed off once a year. I have about 25 feet of head, so end up with ~12psi water pressure. This is plenty of pressure to get through the filters and fill my in-house tank. I then use an on-demand water pump to pressurize the house system.
I guess my point is that you can use surface water or spring water if you take reasonable precautions to eliminate pathogens.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 7 Nov 2022 19:40
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Kind of hard to tell in these pics. The blue thing is a piece of heavy poly that covers the gravel bed that helps collect the water. I dug a surface water drainage swale around the whole thing so no surface water will get in. Once you have the water in a pipe it's easy to deal with.
Brown barrel is my "spring box/pump chamber. White pvc is the inlet. I have the Tee and 90* for over flow protection incase anything backs up further down. The bottom of the barrel has two 1in bulkhead fittings. One for an overflow and one for my pump suction. The one with all the holes is the suction and the solid pipe that's open ended is the overflow.
I would be suprised if I have $200 into this setup.
After the spring box I use a 1/2hp jet pump to pump it up 60+ft to a IBC tote on a hill above our site. When the spring is really flowing I cant pump enough to get the water level to drop in the spring box. I fill a 275gal ibc tote in 35min.
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snobdds
Member
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# Posted: 8 Nov 2022 16:19
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My water comes from a spring on my mountain. It flows all summer until freeze up happens.
I dug down and put in a 1000 water tank that the spring flows into from the top. The bottom has a 1 inch water pipe coming out. It's all gravity fed to me and I get about 80psi of head pressure. I actually have to turn the shut off valve about 1/4 close to manage the pressure.
In the picture you can see the mountain right above the moose. You can also see the black pipe I just lay on top of the ground to feed the cabin. I get so much snow that the pipe never freezes. It still amazes me that my water is so clean, plentiful and easy to obtain. One good thing about the mountains.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 8 Nov 2022 20:35
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You ever get any animals chew your pipes or fittings? I had them chew a hole in my black poly but I do have roughly 700ft layed out on the ground. They also chewed off one of those blue barb fittings.
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Atlincabin
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2022 00:30
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Bears regularly came by and tested the integrity of my pipes the first few years. So I have a number of patches in my pipe. Apparently after a few years the black poly loses its smell and the bears tend to leave it alone. No trouble the last few years.
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snobdds
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2022 11:43
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Quoting: Brettny You ever get any animals chew your pipes or fittings? I had them chew a hole in my black poly but I do have roughly 700ft layed out on the ground. They also chewed off one of those blue barb fittings.
I have never had animal damage. The only issue I have is walking the line and almost stumbling into a momma moose. I can't believe how many moose live on my little place these days. They are so use to me. I have been working to turn around to a mom and a youngster. They just walk on by like it's nothing, while my heart races.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2022 12:03
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Right now I'm up to 1 hole in black poly, 2 poly fittings, 2 pvc ball valves, 1 hand knob for a propane fitting and 3 MC4 connectors.
The ball valve incident caused me to loose 275gal of water, a years supply.
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snobdds
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2022 12:14
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My problems come from falling trees. I have had more than a few branches poke holes in the pipe. I have cut out the line a few times now. I also get a few burst fitting on the line when the temp freezes, but snow dosen't yet cover it all up to insulate.
I have dropped tons of trees down, but there are just to many to do. I have to strike a balance between cutting down all the trees and then dealing with all the slash or select cutting to keep a path and remove dangerous trees.
So I always have some maintenance in the spring to get the water going.
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