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is this well plan sound?

pollinator

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posted 10 years ago

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I have a sticky clay soil with a very high water table. To build a shallow well, could I scoop out a big hole with an excavator, line the hole with landscape fabric, insert a large diameter PVC perforated PVC pipe, also wrapped with landscape fabric, in the center of the hole, and fill the hole with sand? Some sort of pump would go down the center of the capped PVC later.

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R Scott

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posted 10 years ago

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Seen it done with gravel and a metal culvert. Not sure if your idea would drain down too fast or not, depends how much you plan to pump at a time.

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Rebecca Norman

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posted 10 years ago

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Gilbert Fritz wrote:I have a sticky clay soil with a very high water table. To build a shallow well, could I scoop out a big hole with an excavator, line the hole with landscape fabric, insert a large diameter PVC perforated PVC pipe, also wrapped with landscape fabric, in the center of the hole, and fill the hole with sand? Some sort of pump would go down the center of the capped PVC later.

Yes, I was told by a guy who is experienced with wells, to do exactly that, but to surround the perforated pipe with gravel and then stones. He didn't mention fabric or sand.

Works at a residential alternative high school in the Himalayas SECMOL.org . "Back home" is Cape Cod, E Coast USA.

Gilbert Fritz

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I guess gravel would hold more water then stones, due to more space. I was thinking that the fabric would stop the gooey clay from filling all the spaces. Maybe this would not be necessary, but it might help.

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wayne fajkus

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