How to Fix a Water Spring Box

A spring box works as both a holding and settling tank.

A spring box is a concrete structure used to protect and enhance a natural spring. If properly constructed, a spring box serves three purposes: protect the water source from contamination, collect the water and allow sediment to settle to the bottom of the box. Depending on the original design, repairing a spring box can be fast and only require a small amount of labor. On the other hand, the repair of some spring boxes is time consuming and may require extra effort.

Things You'll Need

• 5-gallon bucket
• Concrete mix
• Shovel
• Trowel
• Garden hose or water pump

Instructions

1. Drain the spring box. If the damaged spring box was originally constructed with a drain pipe and valve, you will have no difficulty draining the water and repairing it. If the box does not have a drain pipe or if the leaks are below the water level of the drain pipe, you must siphon the water out. In this case, drop one end of the garden hose to the bottom of the spring box and put the other end outside the box below the foundation of the box. Manually suck water through the hose until it begins to siphon itself. If the volume of water is too great for the water hose to siphon the water out, you will have to use a water pump.

2. Mix an appropriate amount of water and concrete in the bucket. Trowel the concrete onto the spring box's cracks and damaged areas on both the inside and outside of the box.

3. Attend to the spring box while the concrete is curing if you had to siphon the water out. If the hose clogs or stops siphoning, or if the pump stops working, there is a chance the spring water could damage your work. Concrete usually sufficiently cures in five or six hours.

References

• sungravity.com: Capping and Developing Springs
• bae.ncsu.edu: Protecting Water Supply Springs
• sites.tufts.edu: Protective Structures For Springs - Spring Box Design, Construction and Maintenance