Using a Spring for House/Barn/Garden Water

Hey all - I'm totally new here but have done some reading and think this would be a great spot to ask for recommendations on a discovery that happened at the land I recently purchased in southeast TN.

As my dirt guy was working on grading out the driveway through what has been hay fields for years he uncovered a nice bubbling spring in a ditch that ran across the field. Unlike some of the other water we've discovered on land very quickly, without going very deep, there were 5 or 6 spots visibly bubbling close to one another.

Knowing that the city is a mess and they don't know where the water line is and that the well option is expensive and the one outfit in town can't get me water for several months he proposed this spring as an option that would get me water really quickly.

His approach is to get a 6 ft tile (culvert) that he would dig down to towards the source of the emerging water. The local place will make a cap for the tile as well with a hole in it for a well pump. He'd then be surrounding the vertical pipe/basin with gravel rock to keep it in place and keep the other water from rains flowing around the system.

This all seems to make sense to me and once he starts digging I can more accurately measure flow and get some water to have it tested to see if it's suitable for drinking as is or what kind of filtration/treatment would be needed.

My question for those with way more experience than me is - does this sound like a good approach? What should I be looking out for as we move forward? The site where I'll be building the home is a couple hundred feet away and about 50' higher than the top of this tank so I'm thinking I'll want some other elevated tank near the home site to actually create the right pressure inside but does that depend on the flow at the holding tank and type pump I get there?

I have talked to the gentleman that has been cutting hay on and next to this land for decades to ask him if that little section of the ditch ever went dry and he has said not that he knows of, which jives with the vegetation.

I'll keep digging through the other posts but also thought I would ask you guys (and gals) for advice about the situation that has recently become pressing! Thanks so much!

Jeremy Bromwell wrote:Hey all - I'm totally new here but have done some reading and think this would be a great spot to ask for recommendations on a discovery that happened at the land I recently purchased in southeast TN.

As my dirt guy was working on grading out the driveway through what has been hay fields for years he uncovered a nice bubbling spring in a ditch that ran across the field. Unlike some of the other water we've discovered on land very quickly, without going very deep, there were 5 or 6 spots visibly bubbling close to one another.

Knowing that the city is a mess and they don't know where the water line is and that the well option is expensive and the one outfit in town can't get me water for several months he proposed this spring as an option that would get me water really quickly.

His approach is to get a 6 ft tile (culvert) that he would dig down to towards the source of the emerging water. The local place will make a cap for the tile as well with a hole in it for a well pump. He'd then be surrounding the vertical pipe/basin with gravel rock to keep it in place and keep the other water from rains flowing around the system.

This all seems to make sense to me and once he starts digging I can more accurately measure flow and get some water to have it tested to see if it's suitable for drinking as is or what kind of filtration/treatment would be needed.

My question for those with way more experience than me is - does this sound like a good approach? What should I be looking out for as we move forward? The site where I'll be building the home is a couple hundred feet away and about 50' higher than the top of this tank so I'm thinking I'll want some other elevated tank near the home site to actually create the right pressure inside but does that depend on the flow at the holding tank and type pump I get there?

I have talked to the gentleman that has been cutting hay on and next to this land for decades to ask him if that little section of the ditch ever went dry and he has said not that he knows of, which jives with the vegetation.

I'll keep digging through the other posts but also thought I would ask you guys (and gals) for advice about the situation that has recently become pressing! Thanks so much!

it sounds like a great option Jeremy. At 200 ft away and 50ft drop You would want a submersible pump min of 1/2 hp preferably 3/4 if you have a stable source of power. Those pumps could easily do the job directly to the house. I would want to have it tested though and maybe install a UV system at the house in case of seasonal contamination...
Cheers,  David

Thanks so much David! I can definitely include stable power at this site in my electricity plan (so much planning happening right now) and will get the water tested. The other thing that rolled through my mind earlier this morning was wondering - Do I need to cut an overflow spout near the top of the reservoir? Depending on the flow, if it's consistent enough, could I use an old fashioned water wheel type setup to power the pump or charge something?

Is that something I even need to worry about? I assume I won't want things overflowing out of the hole in the cap for the pump but I'm not sure what types of outlets/screens/cuts in this big metal cylinder I should be planning.

Thanks again for the quick response and pump recommendation!

You may end up needing an overflow .... that is easy enough to do.  In the big picture, worse case is you have a good source of water for gardening and livestock.

Welcome, Jeremy.

I would suggest you look into whether or not your geology might support a sand point well. In the right conditions, they can have more than adequate output for your needs. I might not be correct about your specific situation, but my feeling is that it stands a chance of being a cheaper, better solution, if it's suitable.

Best of luck, and please keep us posted.

-CK