Do-it-yourself well: features and stages of work

What is a sewer well and which option is better to choose? Let's look at everything in order.

Installation work and the planning process will not cause difficulties. It is only important to adhere to certain rules and regulations of SNiP, which impose a list of requirements for the materials used in the work and the installation process itself.

In addition, upon completion of installation, special government services may arrive to check compliance with SNiP requirements. If inconsistencies are identified, the owner of the site must rebuild the sewer well, its structure and layout in accordance with the rules. For refusal, a citizen may be held administratively liable and punished with a fine.

Before installing a sewer well, you should study their types and installation rules.

How deep can and should a well be dug?

It is no secret to many that water flowing underground is different from water. In general, it is customary to divide all groundwater into three types, depending on the depth of occurrence:

Location of groundwater: perched water, groundwater, artesian water.

1. The so-called perched water is water that flows in close proximity to the surface of the earth. Often, in order to get to the high water, you will need to dig a shaft only 3-5 meters deep. Drinking such water is strictly not recommended. And it cannot be used for all technical needs - due to the high content of various types of contaminants in it. An additional disadvantage of the perched water is that when constructing a well, it will be necessary to isolate the well shaft from the perched water so that it does not leak through its walls.
2. Ground water. This is considered to be water flowing at a depth of up to 30 meters. Using improvised means and on your own, without the involvement of any special equipment, it is quite possible to get to the groundwater. Therefore, below we will describe exactly how this is done. The aquifer in this case is quite clean and is not under high pressure.
3. Finally, artesian water. This flows at a depth of up to 200 meters. Without serious professional equipment, it is impossible to reach the artesian aquifer. But inside such a well, the water is not only exceptionally clean, but also healthy. After all, artesian water is saturated with all kinds of minerals and salts. It flows under high pressure. When the artesian aquifer is broken, water will burst out of it like a real fountain.

What time of year is best to start digging a well?

Oddly enough, summer is not considered the best time of the year. And it's definitely not spring. The fact is that in spring (and partly in summer) water underground under the influence of floods, precipitation, etc. rises as high as possible. So in this case, there is a risk of quickly getting to the bottom of the aquifer, which will “go deeper” with the onset of autumn and winter. That is, the well will simply dry up.

Autumn is the best time to dig a well.

Note! In winter, due to freezing of the soil and general cold weather, it is inconvenient to carry out drilling and other work related to the construction of a well. Therefore, autumn can be considered the ideal time of year to start digging a well.

Notes[ | ]

1. Integrated application of geophysics methods at the stages of design, construction and operation of engineering structures and communications (undefined)
   . Cyberleninka. Access date: January 22, 2021.
2. Kunin V.N.
   Development of the deserts of Turkmenistan // Nature. - 1961. - No. 9. - P. 66.
3. Well // Kazakhstan. National Encyclopedia (Russian). - Almaty: Kazakh encyclopedias, 2005. - T. III. — ISBN 9965-9746-4-0.
4. Platonov, 2007, p. 352.
5. Zinoviev V.A.
   Brief technical reference. T. 1. - M.: Gosizdat, 1949. - P. 386

Wiktionary has an entry for " well "

How to choose the right location for a well

Professionals say that water is everywhere. You just need to be able to get to it. Therefore, when choosing the location of a future well, it makes sense to stick not so much to a place with water, but to take into account the following rules:

• You can start digging a well only at a sufficient distance from all kinds of sources of household pollution. Moreover, the minimum distance today is considered to be 30 meters. This applies to garbage heaps, country toilets, etc.;
• If you have an autonomous sewer system, you will need to convert it into a sealed one. That is, arrange a special container inside the drainage pit. Otherwise, the drainage from the pit will certainly fall into the aquifer - and then such water will simply be unsafe to drink;
• Placing the well on a hill will also help prevent runoff. Simply because water does not flow upward - therefore, there is no need to be afraid of, for example, runoff from neighbors getting into the well;
• If you need to water livestock from a well, it would be better to place the well at approximately the same distance from the barn and the house. If we are talking only about household needs, then the well is located closer to the house, but no closer than a distance of five meters.

The figure shows the schematic location of the well on the site.

In addition, the well must be provided with free access and, if possible, access to special equipment. It will be necessary to provide in advance for the convenience of its cleaning and further maintenance.

Literature

• Platonov O. A.
  [www.rusinst.ru/docs/%D0%9A_obraz.pdf Well] // [www.rusinst.ru/articlesoftheme.asp?rzd=1&tm=15 Russian way of life]. - M.: Institute of Russian Civilization, 2007. - P. 352. - ISBN 978-5-902725-05-3.
• Well // Concise encyclopedia of household management. - M.: State Scientific Publishing House "Big Soviet Encyclopedia", 1959.
• Khlopin G.V.
  Wells // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.

Features of shaft and tube type wells

Generally speaking, when choosing the type of well, the average consumer has few options. Namely - only two - digging a shaft well or a tube well. In the first case, it will be a familiar village well with a fairly wide shaft. It will be easier to maintain and easier to take water from. However, its arrangement is associated with many difficulties. If only because you will have to dig a fairly large volume of earth to a depth. But a tube well is a well from which water is supplied upward using pumps. In particular, it was the tube type well that was installed (and is now being installed) on the so-called “columns” in villages and towns. Drilling such a well is much faster and easier. However, this will require the use of specialized equipment. So it can hardly be considered a good do-it-yourself option. Consequently, in the future we will talk about the arrangement of a shaft-type well.

A mine well is a specially equipped water intake structure, open for public use, designed to lift water from underground sources that meets target quality indicators in the required quantity.

What does a mine well consist of?

A shaft type well consists mainly of:

• The so-called head - that is, the above-ground part of the well. The cap is not only intended for decorative purposes, but also prevents various types of debris from entering the shaft. You can show your imagination when arranging the head, make it from a variety of materials and give it the most intricate look;
• The next part of the well is the trunk. This is the longest and, one might say, the most important part of the well. The trunk is designed to provide access to water, and must also be strengthened in order to prevent shedding, ingress of perched water, etc.;
• In order to collect clean water, completely ready for use, you will also need to equip a water intake;
• All kinds of structural elements that, to one degree or another, simplify the operation of the well: gate, chain, cover, etc.

Components of a mine well.

Construction of an observation structure

To create storm drains of modern models, high-quality polyethylene or polypropylene is used.

These materials are used to make double-walled pipes with a rigid surface.

The use of these pipes makes it possible to cope with various loads associated with displacement or freezing of the soil, and the movement of groundwater.

The structures of inspection and service wells are equipped with a hatch.

They provide for a neck having a width of 630-800 mm. GOST requires the installation of round wells, the working part of which includes reinforced concrete rings, which represent a reservoir for the pipeline.

To create structural elements of a manhole, elements are used that are manufactured in accordance with GOST 8020-68 in the factory.

The working part can consist of CS or wall rings with the following dimensions of internal and external diameters (DvxDn):

• 700x840 mm;
• 1000x1100 mm;
• 1500x1680 mm;
• 2000x2200 mm.

The height of the rings is usually:

• 290 mm;
• 590 mm;
• 890 mm.

A flat floor slab (PP) of a well with a thickness of 100 mm can have the following diameter dimensions:

• 1100 mm;
• 1680 mm;
• 2200 mm.

The bottom plate (PD), having a thickness of 100 mm, has a diameter equal to:

• 1500 mm;
• 2000 mm;
• 2500 mm.

The inner and outer diameters of the support rings (OK) are 660 mm and 840 mm, respectively. The thickness of the concrete adjustment stones is 65 mm. The height of the hatch installed above the neck is 175 mm. It is laid flush with the road surface.

Construction of the underground part of the well

The optimal procedure from the point of view of safety and ease of arrangement would be the following:

• First, digging the mine by hand. This will require at least two people. One digs, the other lifts the waste soil with a bucket and rope;
• Then it is necessary to strengthen the shaft wall with concrete rings. In this case, it is better to feed the rings into the shaft gradually. The height of the rings is selected taking into account the ease of working with them. For example, you can use rings half a meter high. Then, for every 50 cm of depth, one ring is mounted. As soon as the ring is installed, you can break through the next half meter, etc. The rings themselves are usually served using a block device.

The rings must be installed as close to each other as possible. As a rule, after 5 days of such work it is possible to reach the water.

How to keep the water in the well clean

When you get to the aquifer, you can see dirty water at the bottom. To make it clean and suitable for food use, it is necessary to equip it with a bottom filter. To do this, you need to dig another 15 centimeters deep, then pump out all the water using a pump. After this, the bottom is cleared of silt.

A bottom filter is a layer-by-layer embankment made of various natural materials that are not washed away by well water. Water passing through the filter is cleaned of debris, harmful impurities and suspended particles present in the well.

Then a 20-centimeter layer of river sand is laid on the bottom, then another 15 centimeters of fine crushed stone or gravel, and then another 20 centimeters of coarse gravel. But even in this case, it is too early to drink water from the well. It will be necessary to pump out the incoming water again and do this until the water becomes clear. This usually takes a couple of weeks. It is also necessary to equip a clay castle. To do this, the mine is dug to a depth of approximately one meter. Clay is placed into the recess and compacted until it forms a small mound. You can also build a concrete blind area. Now rainwater and high water will not enter the mine.

We protect the structure from surface water

To keep your well clean, it must be properly protected. Water should enter the shaft only from below, and therefore the walls must be reliably insulated. To do this, we firmly connect the rings to each other, resorting to one of two possible methods.

1. We drill the walls of the rings and fix them with metal brackets mounted on bolts.
2. We twist the rings with steel wire, catching it on the loading eyes. To twist the wire we use a metal rod, for example, a crowbar.

Pay attention to the waterproofing of the seams between the rings! If water leaks through the seams, this will lead to contamination of the well. To seal the seams, you should use a substance that will not affect the quality of the water.

External and internal sealing of concrete rings with traditional bituminous materials

We strengthen the seams according to the following scheme.

Step 1. Place pieces of linen rope in the voids between the rings (an excellent material - natural and environmentally friendly).

Step 2. Cover the ropes with a solution of sand, cement and liquid glass. By doing this we will achieve reliable waterproofing, which will also be completely neutral when in contact with water.

Step 3. On top of the upper rings, dig a meter-deep pit.

Step 4. Waterproof the outer surface of the rings using liquid bitumen mastic.

Step 5. Place a thermal insulation layer around the upper rings (we can use any foamed polymer, for example, polystyrene foam).

Step 6. Fill the pit around the well with clay. This is called a "clay castle".

How to arrange the above-ground part of a well

The easiest way to do this is to use another concrete ring - 80 cm - 100 cm high. It will be possible to additionally cover it with a wooden frame. Then racks are erected above the log house, a gate is strengthened between them, on which a chain is usually wound. An ordinary iron bucket is attached to the chain. Typically, gates are made from planed logs. But it is impossible to buy an iron handle, so it is usually made to order. You will also need to build a two-layer roof - from edged boards with a thickness of 25 millimeters. A cover is also often installed over the log house, which will prevent all kinds of debris from entering the shaft.

The above-ground part of the water source - the head of the well - must fit into the aesthetics of the landscape of the site and solve the technical problem of cutting off both surface and pressure groundwater from the mine.

What do experts recommend?

Valentin Semenov, master driller: There is no need to rush to immediately drink water from the well. It is better to take the samples for analysis to a laboratory after it has cleared. This will allow you to be calm about the quality of the water. Konstantin Ivanovich Dyachenko, master driller: You can, of course, first dig the entire shaft to the required depth, and only then lower all the rings into it. But in practice, this can lead to the collapse of the unstrengthened walls of the well before it is dug to its full depth.

Increased frost resistance

To insulate and avoid water freezing, you should build an insulated house. If you have a pump and hose, then it is better to remove it from the street during severe frosts.

In the case of a piped water supply from a well, it is worth considering the depth to which the soil freezes. When laying, insulate the pipes.

This way you can protect yourself from unnecessary hassle associated with freezing. It doesn’t matter which well you decide to build at your dacha. Follow the instructions and safety precautions. You will succeed.

conclusions

As you can see, you can dig a well on your own, without resorting to the help of specialized teams. If you take into account all the tips given here, you will end up with a fairly high-quality and durable structure that will provide water not only for you, but also for your children and even grandchildren for up to a hundred years, or even more.

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