Bored Well dirty water.

[Leaksealer]

Greetings Friends,
I hope you all are having a good Memorial Day weekend.

I have a 55 year, old 30' deep, 24" diameter, bored well.
Lately my water has been a little dirty since I replaced the waterline going to it. The hole where the waterline penetrates the casing is watertight with grout.

I looked on the web and found that some people pour a 10' deep, by 6" thick concrete collar around the top of the well casing. This supposedly keeps the surface water from channeling down the outside casing of the well eventually reaching the aquifer and dirtying the well.
Is this a good way to keep my well clean?
I would live to drill a new one but have not found a vein to tap into plus money is tight right now.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

JB

 

[speedbump]

There really isn't any way to keep a well like that "clean". With an open top, it's going to get some kind of dirty, even if it's just with bacteria.

Why don't you try to knock in a shallow well with a well point and galvanized pipe. That's a lot better than an open hole in the ground. I don't know what the water is like there at 30', here in Florida, it's disgusting, but in Michigan when I lived there, there were 30' wells all over the place and the water was fine.

Here's a couple of turorials: http://www.pumpsandtanks.com/Helpful-Info/
click on Hand Driving a well 1-1/4" or 2" standard or the video.

 

[Leaksealer]

There really isn't any way to keep a well like that "clean". With an open top, it's going to get some kind of dirty, even if it's just with bacteria.

Why don't you try to knock in a shallow well with a well point and galvanized pipe. That's a lot better than an open hole in the ground. I don't know what the water is like there at 30', here in Florida, it's disgusting, but in Michigan when I lived there, there were 30' wells all over the place and the water was fine.

Here's a couple of turorials: Conversion Charts Terms Formulas Friction Loss Low Yeild Well Charts - Helpful Information PumpsAndTanks.com
click on Hand Driving a well 1-1/4" or 2" standard or the video.

Hello Speedbump,

I looked at the link that you posted and although it looks good for some soils, it probably would not work for my rocky soil conditions here in central NC.

Thank you,
JB

 

[speedbump]

You don't have any streams running down the side of your property; do you?

I would think if someone could auger a 24" hole 30' deep, knocking a steel pipe into the ground might not be a lot harder.

 

[Leaksealer]

You don't have any streams running down the side of your property; do you?

I would think if someone could auger a 24" hole 30' deep, knocking a steel pipe into the ground might not be a lot harder.

No sir I do not have any streams around my property.
What don't you like about my pouring a concrete casing around my existing casing?

 

[Caduceus]

I've picked up a lot of great tips and info regarding well systems since joining the forum. I'll just watch and see what we could all learn from this thread.

 

[Leaksealer]

Hello,

I've finished digging the dirt from around my well to a depth of 5'. I intend to pack the earth before pouring concrete into hole.
I was wondering if someone could recommend a gasketing material to install inbetween the two sections of exposed casing? I have noticed that the top section is not sealed tightly to the second casing.
Also, can someone recommend something to seal the 1.25" conduit sleeve penetrating the concrete casing?

Thank you to all for the great help.

JB

 

[speedbump]

What don't you like about my pouring a concrete casing around my existing casing?

The way dug wells are constructed alone makes them somewhat unsafe.

Doing what your suggesting by digging down 5' certainly can't hurt anything. We generally plug wells with neat cement. It is just mortor mixed somewhat soupy so it penetrates all the little nooks and crannies. This might help keep above water from seeping down without having to be filtered by natural earth.

 

[Leaksealer]

The way dug wells are constructed alone makes them somewhat unsafe.

Doing what your suggesting by digging down 5' certainly can't hurt anything. We generally plug wells with neat cement. It is just mortor mixed somewhat soupy so it penetrates all the little nooks and crannies. This might help keep above water from seeping down without having to be filtered by natural earth.

Hi speedbump,

Are you having a good Memorial Day?

"The way dug wells are constructed alone makes them somewhat unsafe." This is a bored well, not a dug well. Does it matter in the context of your statement?

"We generally plug wells with neat cement." May you please tell me how deep and wide you dig. I dug so deep and wide that it will take me 2 cubic yards of concrete to fill in the hole. I would like to make the hole more narrow but I am afraid that I wont be able to pack the walls sufficiently.

"This might help keep above water from seeping down without having to be filtered by natural earth." This is exactly what I am trying to achieve. I was told that ground water might be running down the side of my well and not being filtered by the natural earth.

Thank you so much speedbump.

JB

PS, Yes I did post on the other forum, sorry.

 

[speedbump]

Oh, it's no problem. Just like going to the Doctor, always get a second opinion. I own the other Forum we mentioned but post on several others, so I get that now and then. Keep going with it, there might be one of the other drillers there that can offer you better advice.