Well Bucket Hygiene

[intothenew]

I have been on vacation since.........YESTERDAY! Work has been overwhelming, since last November. Let's have some fun, and think.

A lot of memories and emotion accompany this post. Questions will come, but I must tell a story and show some doin' first.


45 years ago, I remember the terror in my Mother's voice, "Ollie's house is on fire". Post that, at that particular moment, I only remember my Father's white T-Shirt exiting the house in a hurry.

She was right, it burnt, it burnt to a crisp. As a young child, I lost 4 close friends, only to distance. They were our closest neighbor. As the years would progress, one of those friends would become as close to an older brother as I could have. But, they were not next door.

Fast forward 15 years, the property comes up for auction, a bank auction. It falls into my hands. I cap a well, and only return in earnest this year.

Uncapped for 15, capped and dormant for another 30, and after two months of futile search, I elicit the technology of one of my Uncles. Thanks Red.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-wFZ7K2D/0/L/i-wFZ7K2D-L.jpg

Lacing my boots, pucks clue me.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-xwpKqVZ/1/XL/i-xwpKqVZ-XL.jpg

Seldom can you open the door and get a shot, today I'm on my game.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-JM5br67/0/XL/i-JM5br67-XL.jpg

I have to navigate the Panther field.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-RJ6fdFC/0/XL/i-RJ6fdFC-XL.jpg

Rather than my usual Barbie pick axe, I carry an adz.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-cszt7Kp/0/XL/i-cszt7Kp-XL.jpg

And I end up dwelling on, for me, 45 years of history.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-wvfC3Ks/0/XL/i-wvfC3Ks-XL.jpg

[hunter63]

Hey very cool, you gonna try to put it back in operation?

[intothenew]

My meager attempts at research on this site revealed a spammy sorta taste.

Here (http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?17370-Need-a-well-bucket)

and

Here (http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?17379-Windlass)

[intothenew]

Hey very cool, you gonna try to put it back in operation?

Yep, ya gotta give me a few more posts to get up to speed. I drew water today.

[kyratshooter]

Metal detectors are the bomb in those situations.

How deep is that well?

Did you draw the water by hand?

[intothenew]

Metal detectors are the bomb in those situations.

How deep is that well?

Did you draw the water by hand?


182' with a 22' column of water.

Yes, I made a PVC bucket yesterday.

[intothenew]

I took a chisel to clean up and possibly loosen the bolts, it cleaned up rather well.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bZST78s/0/XL/i-bZST78s-XL.jpg

Surprisingly, the bolts came right loose.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-sN28rtQ/0/XL/i-sN28rtQ-XL.jpg

And a little nudge from the adz popped the cap.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-VChhJmK/0/XL/i-VChhJmK-XL.jpg

I took 300' of jute, I had no idea how deep it was.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9tXJtcS/0/XL/i-9tXJtcS-XL.jpg

I marked with a knot, and wrapped a stick.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-tkHmm7Z/0/XL/i-tkHmm7Z-XL.jpg

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-MkJbQHD/0/XL/i-MkJbQHD-XL.jpg

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-GL8Q88s/0/XL/i-GL8Q88s-XL.jpg

And that was end of shift for Tuesday. I put the tools and extra jute away, pack the datum string, and head home.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-XFcRtWN/0/XL/i-XFcRtWN-XL.jpg

[intothenew]

Martha helped me measure the string, I figure I'm accurate to +/- 1 foot.

I head out for some hardware yesterday morning and build a bucket before lunch.

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http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-qppH7QQ/0/XL/i-qppH7QQ-XL.jpg

I had to turn one of those nuts to make it thinner. That was the only glitch on the foot.

There is a larger fender washer inside that cap. I also drilled a vent hole.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-9HqcQdk/0/XL/i-9HqcQdk-XL.jpg

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Vvn2QTV/0/XL/i-Vvn2QTV-XL.jpg

Time for lunch, and then I pack back to the well. Sorry, I fat fingered this one.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-R55rGvX/0/L/i-R55rGvX-L.jpg

No turbidity, no smell, very little scrapings on the outside of the bucket but there is some.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-vBSdHnG/0/XL/i-vBSdHnG-XL.jpg

I put the tools away and celebrate this auspicious occasion. Hey, I'm on vacation.

http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-DSnd5rC/0/XL/i-DSnd5rC-XL.jpg

[intothenew]

This morning I'm headed to a local well supplier, looking for an extension. I need to raise this thing 2 feet.

Before I shock treat it, I need to build a windlass. I need to smooth the outside of that bucket also. With all that done, it should be much easier to recirc the chlorine solution down the full length.

I plan on making a 6" PVC tube to store the bucket in.

Now for my questions, hygiene. Keep a spritzer bottle of chlorine for the outside of that bucket? Fairlead for the windlass to minimize the sidewall scraping? What is a convenient to remove, mud dobber proof cap? Am I over/under thinking? Do I just plan on boiling everything to be consumed? Thinking of the varmints has me cautious.

I guess the ultimate answer will come from using, and testing it.

Thoughts?

[Rick]

I think I'd pull a sample and have it tested before I did anything else. Then you'll know what your benchmark is and what you need to treat for, if you have to treat it.

[Echo2]

Very interesting post...:)

I'm with Rick on getting a sample sent off to see where you're at.

If it turns out to be a viable water source....I'd loose the bucket and find a good hand pump. The simplicity of operation and overall increase in moving volume would be a great advantage.

I like the bucket....I have a couple of the old cork bottom galvanized well buckets.

[intothenew]

I am going to the health department this morning for sample bottles if the well guy doesn't offer them.

I discounted the hand pump idea, didn't figure I could get that past the accountant. 1-2 K$ for a deep well?

[Cast-Iron]

Sounds like you're on the right track. Since the wellhead was buried there is a greater likelihood for well contamination. Extend your casing (I didn't realize you could do that), test your water, treat if needed and test again. Since it will be an open system, if it were mine I would plan on treating any water I intended to consume for my own peace of mind. I would also test it annually for the first few years, especially if there is any indication of a problem with quality.

I would like to see pics of the process when you extend the casing. That might be handy information for a person to have someday if you wouldn't mind sharing.

We inherited some rural property many years back with an old hand dug well. Installed a solar pump and tested the water. It tested high in arsenic (likely introduced from dipping vats used on livestock many years back). After running the pump for several months the arsenic had all but disappeared in the samples. I would only drink from this well in an emergency since we now have another well nearby, but it does seem to demonstrate you can extract enough contaminants to "clean" the water if necessary.

[intothenew]

I could do it with a rubber hub adapter and PVC, but that would be too feeble.

This is what I hope to get, the compression one and two foot of pipe. LINKY (http://www.merrillmfg.com/product/02-PitlessUnits/Pitless-Connectors/features.php)

[Cast-Iron]

That looks like it should do the trick. Here in Texas (if memory serves me) new wells are required to be cased to a height no less than 18" above grade level. Don't know what the code is for WV but you might as well bring it up to code while you're at it.

[Echo2]

I am going to the health department this morning for sample bottles if the well guy doesn't offer them.

I discounted the hand pump idea, didn't figure I could get that past the accountant. 1-2 K$ for a deep well?

Yup....bit of an ouch factor there.

With your work on the bucket...I'm guessing you are "handy".

You can build a serviceable deep pump.....they just don't look as polished as a store bought.

I have seen a couple books at the library on it....and would guess the interweb would have a few suggestions.

I have an old well on my place....only about 70 ft and the top of water is at about 40. The water is very mineral rich though....I keep a hand pump on hand for the "oh crap" factor. All I have to do is remove the cap cover....hook the linkage and run the nuts down on the flange. I wont drink the water with out filtering....but it works fine for most other needs.

My well is deep....I have a pump that is capable of drawing from it.....but it is really for the BOL. The situation will determine where it goes into play.

[Echo2]

http://helid.digicollection.org/documents/unr01/p066a.gif

[Echo2]

http://www.rwsn.ch/prarticle.2005-10-25.9856177177/prarticle.2005-10-26.2582788867/prarticle.2008-12-04.2105225472/prarticle.2009-02-05.1222876984/prarticleblock.2009-02-05.3577867258/image1_2column

[Echo2]

good site....

http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ah810e/AH810E06.htm

[Rick]

Cast Iron - You may have only diluted the arsenic. The water should migrate into the well faster than any heavy metal so if you are pumping it out new water will migrate in and the water will test good. The real test would be to let it set for several months and let the arsenic (if there still is any) saturate the well then test it again. I've feel a lot safer doing that if it were mine.

[intothenew]

Echo2, you are well ahead of me, pun intended.

The ugly:

I have to hump 720 lb of dry concrete just short of a mile, just over 800 ft elevation, before vacation is over.


The bad:

And I knew this one, well guy informs me I am not licensed for "alterations". I could get a license for "pull" and replace in a few days, alterations is another story. I have to do some grade work, which I also knew. The heavy metal etc. test results will not be back until mid to end of next week. It's gonna rain this weekend. Accounting is frowning.

The good:

Shouldn't be a problem with nothing but bacteria. That is almost certain to be positive, we'll know in 48 hours. Well guy knows the locale and is willing to help when hardware arrives next week. I'll sleep good tomorrow night.

[hunter63]

Great practical, been there and doing that thread....wanted to just say it.... as I can't give any rep till spread it around.

Just a thought.
How deep does the bucket go below the surface of the standing water......A pipe draws from below the surface, a bucket will pick up stuff on the surface?

Might be over thinking this.....but when they put my 'state approved, cased" well in the shocked it with, I think clorine, then pumped for a couple of days.

[Cast-Iron]

Cast Iron - You may have only diluted the arsenic. The water should migrate into the well faster than any heavy metal so if you are pumping it out new water will migrate in and the water will test good. The real test would be to let it set for several months and let the arsenic (if there still is any) saturate the well then test it again. I've feel a lot safer doing that if it were mine.

You may be right Rick, but the well sits well within the flood zone of a seasonal creek who knows where the contamination originated. It's a shallow well and only sees occasional use for livestock watering when available surface water in that pasture dries up. It went unused for decades when the intial sample was taken. Follow-up samples haven't indicated unsafe levels and I can't let that well sit idle for decades to test your theory. My point was to relate my experience with an old "abandoned" well and how water quality can change with prolonged pumping.

[intothenew]

Great practical, been there and doing that thread....wanted to just say it.... as I can't give any rep till spread it around.........

It's the thought that counts, thanks.


Just a thought.
.......How deep does the bucket go below the surface of the standing water......A pipe draws from below the surface, a bucket will pick up stuff on the surface?........

As little, or as much, as you desire. Not at all if you are very careful.


..........Might be over thinking this.....but when they put my 'state approved, cased" well in the shocked it with, I think clorine, then pumped for a couple of days.

It is standard practice here, and recommended by the Health Department, to chlorine shock a well anytime it is opened. Also, you are to recirculate so as to decontaminate the inside of the casing/well sides.

[hunter63]

Gotta, nothing like doing it to get the skinny.......

[intothenew]

.........You may have only diluted the arsenic............


Isn't that the objective to get the ppm below some predetermined level? Certainly "time" stagnant needs to enter the equation. But, considering use and stagnant levels isn't a ppm rating sufficient?

Catastrophic events certainly can change the game. We each need a test procedure to take care of those, as well as the mundane maintenance.

[jfeatherjohn]

You folks are cracking me up...
"There's a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza, Dear Liza...a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza...
a hole."
I can't stand it...

[intothenew]

My axe is sharp, but I do not have straw. I guess I'm done for.

[crashdive123]

You could always hire Jack of Jill.

[hunter63]

Dude broke his crown.......lession here is don't drill your well on a hill....too far to the water table......

[intothenew]

.......lession here is don't drill your well on a hill.......

Two strikes, it's looking grim.

[LowKey]

none of these is even a grand, well until you read the reviews...
http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=deep%20well%20pump&asug=

[intothenew]

none of these is even a grand, well until you read the reviews...
http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=deep%20well%20pump&asug=

Size it up, everything, 200 foot +/-.