Small Acreage - Capped Well - Best Design?

Just moved into this house over winter and am trying to plan out the best permaculture plans for what I have to work with. Two things that I want to figure out before putting a shovel to the ground is a) How to work in this capped well for homesteading (not necessary as the house has town water, but well water is connected to house) and b) How to design around the Septic Tank in the front yard (specifics on that for a different thread to come on appropriate Topic but relevant to big picture).

My main concerns is that it is uphill from the house and rather avoid building up a water lens just to seep into the cinderblock basement. But would love to figure out a way around that problem if possible. I was also thinking of attempting a Greenhouse on the north side and/or a natural plunge pool. But the well is difficult to work with. Instead of leaving it be a sore thumb, I would like it to be a desirable feature.

Any thoughts, experience with, or suggestions?

Some things I've thought of for making use of the capped well:

If you put in a greenhouse could you use that well for the water source of the greenhouse?
You might be able to incorporate it into a seating structure with a fire pit.
You could use the well as the plunge pool water supply or a seating area for the plunge pool.

Is the well functional? In my area it is required to plug it if city water is hooked up or if septic is installed within x feet of  it. They pump a bentonite mud mix into it.

wayne fajkus wrote:Is the well functional? In my area it is required to plug it if city water is hooked up or if septic is installed within x feet of  it. They pump a bentonite mud mix into it.

It has a line to the basement with a UV sterilizer, I would have to look at it more to see if we can actually run water from it in the house. We were given no indication on it's condition since we are hooked up to town water.


As for Bryant RedHawk's suggestions in the previous response.

With the Well Head as a component of a plunge pool - I am concerned about winter freezing damaging the well, is a distance requirement recommended, or can it be established in a way that the well is not damaged?

I like the idea of having the well head in the green house to water the plants.

Would it be too much to have a plunge pool in the green house? If not, how would that be installed? Would it be any different than what would be required for an indoor pool? Or could it be made so that the foundation is fully / partially the natural ground - or is that too much risk for the structure?

Has anyone done a Natural swimming pool indoors?

I've seen one greenhouse that had both a fountain and a plunge pool inside, the pool was built with a pond liner and the fountain was at the other end of the greenhouse.
The owner had a motorized cover for the pool (they had small children), the above ground portion was tiled concrete blocks.
His humidity was in the 75% range because he collected orchids and other tropical plants.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:I've seen one greenhouse that had both a fountain and a plunge pool inside, the pool was built with a pond liner and the fountain was at the other end of the greenhouse.
The owner had a motorized cover for the pool (they had small children), the above ground portion was tiled concrete blocks.
His humidity was in the 75% range because he collected orchids and other tropical plants.

Bryant RedHawk, do you know where I can learn more about this project or others like it?

Thanks for responding to my queries.

Sorry, but I don't think there has been anything written up on the one I know about, it is in the Hamptons on a private estate.

I'll make a call to my friend and see if he might be willing to share the blueprints though.

It looks like the pine trees would be to the west of the greenhouse (if it sat upon the well).  With that ditch between the trees and the house I'm guessing you'd have to do a lot of earthworks to cause a water lens to infiltrate into the basement.  But I'm far from an expert in that department.

Having a well in the greenhouse would be very cool.  It should help with winter temperature control (assuming you want to have plants in the greenhouse in winter).

Is a plunge pool just a deep pool with a small footprint?  Would you make the well into the pool or have a separate pool somewhere?

Mike Jay wrote:It looks like the pine trees would be to the west of the greenhouse (if it sat upon the well).  With that ditch between the trees and the house I'm guessing you'd have to do a lot of earthworks to cause a water lens to infiltrate into the basement.  But I'm far from an expert in that department.

Having a well in the greenhouse would be very cool.  It should help with winter temperature control (assuming you want to have plants in the greenhouse in winter).

Is a plunge pool just a deep pool with a small footprint?  Would you make the well into the pool or have a separate pool somewhere?

Hi Mike Jay,

My goal for a greenhouse is to have it's primary function be for year round growing.

A plunge pool is a deep pool with a small footprint - it's function is for quick cool downs, often co-functioning with a sweathouse, which I have considered adding in a greenhouse design. I have been scoping out rocketstove designs that could be used in sweathouses just for that purpose, and why not have it all in one in a greenhouse since it increases heat and humidity anyway. Any info in that regard would be greatly appreciated too.

That said, I am not dead set on a plunge pool being in or outside a greenhouse. Just looking at all the options to determine what is best for the site I am working with. Though a year round pool would be pretty darn sweet. The well would ideally assist the pool and water plants year round. As it is, the well is still a back up source of drinking water so I would like to preserve that function.

Erica and Ernie Wisner have plans on here somewhere for a greenhouse RMH.

Combining the heater/sauna and the greenhouse makes perfect sense.  Put it on the north side of the greenhouse and it won't block any sun.  Having the plunge pool inside the greenhouse would give better access in the winter (assuming it would be snow/ice covered outside) but it could be pretty warm in the summer.

How big will this greenhouse be?

Mike Jay wrote:Erica and Ernie Wisner have plans on here somewhere for a greenhouse RMH.

Combining the heater/sauna and the greenhouse makes perfect sense.  Put it on the north side of the greenhouse and it won't block any sun.  Having the plunge pool inside the greenhouse would give better access in the winter (assuming it would be snow/ice covered outside) but it could be pretty warm in the summer.

How big will this greenhouse be?

The size is yet to be determined based on what it will do.