How to Build a Water Spring Box

A tap-able water flow is about one quart per minute.

A water spring box system can be installed anywhere water seeps to the surface naturally. Some people choose to place a layer of gravel in the open bottom for a filtered spring box holding reservoir. Make water storage boxes for easy delivery systems using pipes, cement/rock dams with spring-boxes hooked by pipe to a holding tank. The best situation is when your water source is higher than your delivery location. In this case, pumps and electricity are unnecessary for lowest cost water delivery. A minimum flow of one liter per minute is needed for a tap-able water source.

Things You'll Need

• Gravel
• Sand
• Shovel or backhoe
• Pipe
• Quick cement
• Quick lime powder
• Holding tank
• Cover
• Aqua seal or water-safe silicon glue
• Wheel Barrow
• Hoe
• Plywood
• Lumber (just enough for framing the wall forms)

Instructions

1. Dig a trench across the slope or run-source above the spring-box so no surface water can enter the system to prevent containmination. Pit latrines, dumps, defecating animals and other sources of contamination should not be located up hill above the source of your spring. Dig the spring hole at least 5 to 6 ft. deep.

2. 

   Most people make spring boxes and wells out of cement.

   Dig a hole just below the mouth of the spring. Be sure it is open at the bottom (or back if on a steep hill). Dig this spring-box to be a 1-by-1 yard square. Add gravel in the bottom of the spring box to help with filtration especially if you have water-flow coming up through the bottom. Cement poured into wall forms, with rocks mortared up the walls is a commonly used method.

3. 

   These cement wall-blocks are what the plywood frames create.

   Drain off the water during construction of the box using a large pipe. Use a smaller pipe as needed, later, to handle any over-flow coming out of the spring. Construct the box by framing a wood wall. Make walls for the form by using sheets of plywood inside the square hole, sealing the wall ends with framing wood so cement can be poured into this wall mold.

4. Mix quick cement in a wheelbarrow, using a hoe. Thoroughly stir the cement adding any lime by the part . Mix one-part cement powder (amounts listed on the bag) to one equal-part gravel or sand to one equal-part quick-lime for strong, low-cost walls. Pour the mixed cement into the frame. Insert many large rocks as you go to help these four walls go up quicker.

5. 

   Keep your spring covered, and clean of any plants or debris.

   Add one equal part soil to the cement powder and quick lime, and form the stiffly mixed material to make a lid, or pour it into a form in the proper shape to fit as a lid, then allow this to set. Form/embed a handle for lifting and replacing the lid. Use any water-safe tank if it inserts easily into the spring hole.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your water tested. Spring water is very clean, yet sometimes the geology or contamination from soil can leak into your water. Spring boxes can also be made from already existing plastic and other kinds of water friendly tanks.

• If it is filling from a spring run off, a tank is fine, but if you are allowing the water to rise into the tank from the spring source below, do not have a bottom on the tank. After removing wall forms, make certain corners are cemented in a water-tight manner. This may mean getting into this hole, and reinforcing the corners with cement by hand.

References

• Sun Gravity: Capping and Developing Springs
• Michigan Technological University: Springs, Field Engineering