Excavate along the line of flow of a point spring to where the water is
at least 3 feet below the ground surface. Install a cut-off wall of concrete
or plastic; insert a pipe low in the wall to guide the water to the spring box.
Do not try to back water up behind the cutoff wall as the water pressure
could reduce the spring flow or cause the water to change course and exit
elsewhere.
In low area springs, the spring box sometimes serves as the collector,
and therefore no tile or pipe is needed.
Develop a seepage spring by first digging several test holes upslope from
the seep. Where the holes indicate the impervious layer is about 3 inches
below the ground surface, excavate an 18 to 24 inch trench across the slope.
Dig the trench to 6 inches below the water-bearing layer and extend 4 to 6
feet beyond the seep area. Install a line of 4 inch drain tile and completely
surround it with 6 inches of gravel.
If the soil is porous, install a cutoff wall of concrete or plastic
film to prevent water from overrunning the collector tile. Connect the
collector tile to a 4 inch pipe that leads to the spring box. The spring
box inlet must be below the elevation of the collector
tile.
Spring Box
A good spring box is watertight and has some tightfitting lid or cover. Many are concrete; some are precast. Extend
the box at least 3 feet below the water line and 1 foot above the
ground line. Make it at least four feet deep and 3 feet wide or round.
The size may be increased to fit reserve storage requirements.
Provide both an outlet pipe and an overflow pipe. The overflow
must be lower than the upper end of the collector tile or pipe. The
outlet may be a floating device connected to the outlet pipe. Install
a drain for cleaning the spring box.
After the spring is developed or serviced, and before using the water in the house or milkhouse, be sure to disinfect the spring, spring box, and distribution system.
![]() |
© Copyright |