Walked around a house that is up for sale. IIRC, they said it wasn’t on municipal water, so I was looking around for a well.
This is all I could find. A power line runs from the house to it. Not what I’m used to seeing as a ‘well’ (unless it is an old, shallow well). Looks more like a cistern.
Anyone know what this is?
jt8
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Replies
Looks more like a manhole for a sewage lift station to me.
If not that, then I'd lean towards it being a well. A cistern would more likely be right next to the building it was gonna collect water from.
Got any overview shots that set the scene better?
A spring with a piece of sewer line as a spring box? The wire suggests some kind of pump, so is there a line running anywhere?
Looks to me like it's probably a septic tank. Not uncommon for them to have pumps inside to lift the outflow into a field somewhere.
But the old house my parents had had a cistern that started out to be a dug well, until they realized (duh!) that what started out as solid rock 3 feet down would still be solid rock 15 feet down. So they hollowed out a chamber at the bottom and made it a cistern.
Secret entrance to the bat cave.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
shhhhhhhhhh.
It looks like cisterns i've seen for collecting spring water. The pumps i've seen have been mounted outside the tank, not inside, but i guess if there's room inside...
It seems like prying up the lid would tell you quickly if it's a spring cistern or a septic tank.
I'd guess there is a shallow well jet pump sitting on top a 2" driven well pipe inside that culvert -
a weak point for sure - screens clog and low pressure and yield -
if you buy and reno, you'll need a new well -
Looks pretty much like the well we had at our old house - or someone called it a spring cistern. It was a shallow dug well, with a point driven own into the sand. I think it had a shallow well pump, The problem with those is they're so far from the house, you don't hear the pump running, and running, and running, or, a tree falls over and takes the line with it, or the line isn't deep enough and it gets frozen....
But by far that was the best water I have ever tasted in my whole life. Only reason I didn't want to leave that house -- that water could've been bottled!
It looks similar to lift stations we use for septic systems, but they would be buried and only the cap showing. I lean to agreeing with all Doud said
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It looks similar to lift stations we use for septic systems, but they would be buried and only the cap showing. I lean to agreeing with all Doud said
Septic wouldn't be my first guess. It seems to be too far away from the house for that. Kind of down in a gully. I'm starting to think that all the folks mentioning a spring based cistern/well might be right on target.
On an unrelated note, I keep meaning to ask you... A few months back you were talking about the alignment of wooden floor in relation to the sunlight streaming into the room. Am I remembering correctly that you say the better alignment is parrallel to the sunlight streaming in? So if there is a south window on the room, you put the planking in running N-S? jt8
That is correct on the direction of grain in the flooring.The use of the word cistern is interesting.
here, there are old septic systems that are called cisterns which aare essentially a hole ion the ground with open top that let waste water perc into surrounding soils.
And there are basement tanks about 10'-12' in diameter and 4' deep with a lid for storing rainwater roof runoff that are called cisterns
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>there are old septic systems that are called cisterns which aare essentially a hole ion the ground with open top that let waste water perc into surrounding soils.That's called a cess pool here.View Image
There was a guy around here who drowned when he fell into a cess pool.He couldn't swim, but he went through all the movements.
Yuck - I don't know whether to laugh at that statement of feel sorry for the undertaker.
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You forgot a tagline - or was the post the tag?View Image
I don't see how a tag line would have improved that post any.(-:
Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."
Talk about a cr ap py way to die! ;)
jt8
LOL, one of the reasons I come here.
Thanks
Kevin
The use of the word cistern is interesting. here, there are old septic systems that are called cisterns which aare essentially a hole ion the ground with open top that let waste water perc into surrounding soils.And there are basement tanks about 10'-12' in diameter and 4' deep with a lid for storing rainwater roof runoff that are called cisterns
In its basic definition, the word "cistern" probably just means a container or such, so as such could contain anything. But as far as I know, hereabouts the septics are always just called septic tanks (or creative names), not cisterns. Cisterns are always water storage.
The cisterns can be just about any size. The one at the house I grew up in was probably 4-5' diameter and 10-12' deep. Brick with a concrete parge. The one at my sister's family's house is probably 10-12' diameter and 10' or so deep. While the cisterns are typically hooked up to the gutters to collect rainwater, they are also often placed near a well and/or within easy access that a water truck could make a delivery.
As far as I know, the old houses were hooked up to the cisterns, not the wells. You had the pleasure of filling your cistern via the hand pump (or wind) well when the cistern got low. I would imagine that would encourage less wasteful water usage :)
jt8
"...old houses were hooked up to the cisterns, not the wells. You had the pleasure of filling your cistern via the hand pump (or wind) well when the cistern got low."
I've never seen one that was hooked up that way.
In my experience, well water was generally used for drinking, since it tasted better. Cisterns were filled from the downspouts on the house and/or barn.
Many rural houses that I've been in use both for water. Well water is cold water, and the cistern is used for hot water. (Since it's softer)
Mom and Dad's house has a complicated maze of pipes that go to most of the fixtures in the house. If the well gets low, the toilets run off the cistern. Prolonged dry spells mean that the cistern gets low, so more stuff gets switched to the well.
It probably varied a lot based on how good each person's well was and how big their cistern is. But that's the basic setup I've seen most of the time.
Uncommon valor was a common virtue. [Admiral William Nimitz ]
"...old houses were hooked up to the cisterns, not the wells. You had the pleasure of filling your cistern via the hand pump (or wind) well when the cistern got low."
I've never seen one that was hooked up that way.
That's the way our old house was. That is the way my sister's house was. That is the way a friend's house was. That was the way a couple neighbor's houses were. In the case of our old house, a deeper well was drilled (while we lived there) and that well was hooked to the house instead of the cistern. In the case of my sister's house and neighbors, they were switched to municipal water. Don't know about the friend's house. haven't talked to him in quite a while but I would image they're on a well now.jt8
I will assume that that tile is downhill from the dwelling.
I believe what you have is a spring box w/pump. (A spring is not a well, water seeps out of the surface or flows just below surface with a spring with a spring, a well has to dug/drilled down to the water table.)
I developed several of those both using pumps and gravity feed depending on the elevation relative to the usage point.
If it has been there for quite awhile then your only problem may be getting loan approval, most lending institutions don't like to loan on sprigs as domestic water supply unless you can prove it is safe from bacteria and the supply is adequate year round.
I will assume that that tile is downhill from the dwelling.
I believe what you have is a spring box w/pump.
I'm thinking that all the folks suggesting a spring box are probably right.
It is located a goodly distance from the house (the house sits on 7.5 acres) down in a gully-like area. My first thought was that maybe it was a cistern that filled up when the run-off went down the gulley. But a spring makes more sense.
And yes, I think that will make it harder to get a loan. But that might work in my favor as a bargaining tool.... But I need it to stay on the market for a while longer. I'm not done with my current house.jt8
John,
Here in Texas, that's a common site for a drilled water well. There's a law that the well casing that lines the drilled hole must come up above the ground so many inches to prevent surface water from washing down in the ground water.
That section of concrete pipe and lid is just a way of protecting the well casing, electrical wire, and returning water pipe.
If it was a septic tank with a pump for the settled liquids, the concrete pipe and lid would be only a few inches above ground level and you could probably see the Mercury switch float bobbing around.
Also, you might consider getting a water sample and take it to the local County Agent Office for testing. It's up to you, but I'd get a sample now or let that be part of the deal for the seller to provide the tests. The procedure for sanitizing the well is 1 gallon of grocery-store washing bleach for every 100 ft of well depth. You should have some of that depth info from the seller or agent selling the property. After letting the bleach set in the well for a day or so, pump out some water and get a second sample. The average charge for each test is about $30 and takes 7 to 10 days for receiving the results.
Water wells mean cool, clear, and clean water, but the pumps fail after 10 years or so, maybe longer if it was a good brand. The Texas water well guys used to charge 50cents a foot to pull and put back the pipe and pump. A well that 's about 250ft deep will take a submergible pump that retails for around $1,000 if you have to buy a new one.
Bill
Edited 10/14/2008 5:41 pm ET by BilljustBill
Also, you might consider getting a water sample and take it to the local County Agent Office for testing. It's up to you, but I'd get a sample now or let that be part of the deal for the seller to provide the tests.
I'm not real sure why it never got hooked up to municipal water. The house has a really long driveway, so 'feels' like you're in the country, but it isn't. From the "street" end of the driveway, the water tower is probably only two blocks away.
But I think the lack of a good well works in my favor. It makes it harder for the average home owner to get a loan on the property while giving me a bargaining chip.
jt8
Some towns or Incorporated little towns will not allow wells to be drilled. Just 30 ft. from my rear property line begins an Incorporated little town. When they became Incorporated, the well drilling law was written so that you can't have a water well drilled unless you have 1 acre or more....99% of the house lots are under 1 acre. Ten years ago, when one fellow drilled a well just to water his grass and shrubs, they took him to court and made him have the well plugged. Last count, 5 years ago, was a turn-key drilled water well with PVC casing, pvc pipe, pump, pressure tank, plumbing, and electrical was $21 a foot with a minimum 100'+ depth.
You might check to see what the local codes are for water wells. I do know that some say it can't be hooked to the house if you already have city water. Others say there must pay for a permit so that a check valve is installed on the city's side to prevent untreated well water from going into the city's treated water system.
These days, getting hooked up to the local city water with a meter and cast iron meter box & lid will cost you around $1,400. Then you have to pay for the ditch, pipe, and plumbing to your house. Some of the county water Co-op's are already strained to provide water to existing customers. So, they're not taking any new applications for service. That makes it hard on anyone that has property out there because of a geological ground fault line, what water is found is too bitter to be used for drinking.
Check out all your options/barriers before you plunk down your hard earned dollars. ;>)
Bill
"These days, getting hooked up to the local city water with a meter and cast iron meter box & lid will cost you around $1,400. "Those prices will vary DRASTICALLY. In some cases it will be free or a few bucks for the cost of the fittings to tens of thousands..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
There are places where the tap fee can be twenty grand.
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In New Yawk we call that a surface well. Shallow pit or deeper usually fed by some kind of spring or stream close to the surface thus making it a potential health hazard and a health dept no no.
He just used the pipe for a well house. It's a good idea to put a house around the electrical and other mechanicals. And you can heat it too.
Edited 10/14/2008 5:51 pm ET by popawheelie
Hand dug well.
dig a 3 ft deep hole 40" in dia, drop in a piece of 36" culvert. Dig 3 more feetat about 36", stack another culvert on top, then get in the hole and dig away t;he dirt holding up the culvert till they drop to the bottom.
Repeat.
Fairly safe well digging operation, stick a vacuum cleaner hose down to the bottom and a sump pump afte you hit water.
DW and I dug one, but found the hardpan was so stable just dug the hole after the first 6 feet. Aint gonna find hardpan like that in Chatham above 20 feet though, probably hit a coal seam first (recall the state capitol first coal seam was only 20 ft down).
so you are saying you only have 6 feet of culvert that slips down the hole as it gets deeper. soil better be firm.
If you were here in Ga. I would say that was a bored well. Not to be confused with a drilled well. They were bored with a big auger.
In other words the hole will be about the same diameter as that casing. Usually they are somewhat shallow.
Haven't seen one go in in a while, but they used to be very common here and usually were located in low spots.
My neighbor has been using one for bout 25 years now.
By the way, look around and sometimes you can see a pile of dirt that came out of the hole.
dug
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Constructing in metric...
every inch of the way.
Seeing that this thread drifted to cisterns et al you might be interested to know that a guy from Colorado building a house started
to bury a tank for a cistern that he could fill from roof runoff. Somehow the State got involved and stopped work because trapping water running off your property was illegal. Reason? Runoff from all impervious surfaces collected into larger and larger ditchs, streams, rivers. People owned water rights from those and if you trapped the runoff then you were "taking" their water.
Big story, TV pics, etc. (could have been elsewhere than CO)
I owned part of a former cattle ranch and they had bulldozed up earthen dams to trap water and they were called "stock ponds" I never had any deeded water rights but no cattle either. The best reason I found for a cistern was on a 2 acre lot in the foothills where I was going to build. The fire department was far away and carried a small amount of water on their pumper so it was going to be a water source in case of fire. Insurance rates depend on fire response ratings so I figured it would pay back.
The lender did not like the idea that the well was on my Dad's adjoining acre--drill your own. State issues well permits here and they didn't want to. Blew off the whole idea. Around Denver it will cost close to $40,000 to get water, sewer, gas taps, dig ditches, repave the road and replace curb and gutter. Love it-not! Tyr
It is not illegal for everybody to retain water from runoff there. It just depends whether you won the water rights with your property. Most smaller HOs don't, but a lot of ranches do retain their rights.
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Piffin--Sorry I don't know where "there" is.
Considering the multistate location of rivers (a slew start in Colorado--end up much bigger elsewhere) I wonder if there isn't some standard recognition of water rights federally or within a multi-state compact agreement similar to what the guy ran into building here. The Arkansas River starts in CO and goes through Kansas--they (Kansas) won a big lawsuit because in less wet years each person with water rights reduced flow to a trickle (or took more than they owned).
I guess if you have natural grass in a pasture that absorbed rainwater that would be OK. I have my lawn aerated every year because of that, fertilizer, and the soil makeup around here (a lot of clay). Water rights are usually within your deed but can be severed and sold separately. I know I can't drill a well on my property because the city prohibited it years ago. (Probably 1.5 million now) Tyr
It's a dug well, probably dug by hand and the concrete "silos" installed as it was dug. It's not a cistern.
Whatever it is, I'd be careful checking it out with those vines all around. "Leaves of three, leave it be."
It sorta looks like the shallow well I have in my basement. A 36 inch culvert at the top with 30 inch down to 14 feet. It delivers softer water than my drilled well but because it gets surface runoff it tested way too high in coliform content (no E. coli though.) In 11 years I (don't think I) have ever had sick probs but am in the process of installing a UV treatment fixture to take the maybes out.
Assuming that it's not got anything to do with septic, in Colorado it would be deemed a "spring well". That means a shallow well, not drilled, that could be fed by a spring or a seep. We have a special permit for them.
They are prone to e coli contamination, in my experience.
That said, I've lived on them for various parts of my life (many years, actually) with only the obvious ill effects. < G >