Potential Artesian Flowing from Beneath Uprooted Live Oak Stump

Yes, there is a septic tank with drain fields between the deep artesian well and the more recent flow.

A friend did suggest a goldfish pond with aquatic plants. If we did that, I suppose some type of drainage could be established to take the runoff from this pond to the lake.

Do you have any further recommendations/suggestions...and thanks for your reply.

I would like to add that we are thinking of putting in one of the above-ground septic sprinkler systems. Would doing this make the water suitable for a goldfish pond.

On a property I owned several years ago, I built an overflow area from my Modad (mechanical septic system). I added cat tails and elephant ear plants. The plants did a great job of filtering the water. I had the system for several years and I never detected any offensive odors, and the area looked like a natural water-plant area. Other property owners in the area simply flowed their septic water into the road drainage ditch and it always smelled like sewage. I got this idea from a study done by, I think, Mississippi State University.

And thank you kevinm for responding.

I am printing out the responses tonight for my husband to review. We are the second owner of this property and have no way of obtaining well records, as far as I know, as the previous owners are deceased and had no children.

I think, however, the well was installed and prepared in a correct manner as we never had an issue that we were aware of except that we lost pressure a few years after he turned off the spicket outside the well house through which the overflow drained. We have been here about 45 years.

I asked the people we have to service our well, i.e. installing new pump, etc., if there was any way to bring back the overflow. One suggested that if we opened the spicket, maybe it would come back, "But it usually redirects itself," I seem to remember him saying. We did open the spicket and after a number of years we now have a slight overflow when the power goes off. With the 8 pound pressure (and a gas hot water heater), we used to be able to shower when a storm came through and we lost electricity. Come to think of it, the overflow we have now is very much like the gentle overflow we discovered recently.

Thanks again for your reply and any further advise would be welcomed.

We are also going through repairs to our home from flooding from Isaacs and may have to let the outside project go for a while. It's just a bad situation with having to take care of problems in our yard and home and have to take care of issues as the greatest need arises.

Not having a clue how to address the water issue, I started searching the internet and am thankful to have found you. I will get back to you when I have discussed this with my husband.

I would really be surprised if the annular space on the well were sealed. Very few domestic wells were cemented or grouted 50 years ago. It had been a real problem in the area I worked. In fact, there were financial incentives given to owners to abandon old wells by cementing them completely in prescribed manners. In many cases the wells were permanently abandoned and in some cases new wells were drilled. Many of these wells were replaced with a municipal water supply. Flowing wells are in reality always always a headache but they sounded nice in discussions over coffee.

One of he reasons I directed you to a licensed driller is that he may have access to retrieve the original record. They are usually filed with some government agency. Everyone has access if you can contact the correct people. Most jurisdictions required well records 50 years ago, so it is worth the effort. You can also call your local government agency to investigate. If the original well record declared that it flowed originally, the record will be tagged and sometimes easier to find. I worked 12 years as a well inspector and then another 32 years as owner of a business specializing in ground water issues. I am now retired. A well driller has a wealth of information that may be invaluable to you. Find one with experience and a technical reputation that is good.

Uncontrolled flowing wells have been known to wash out back yards and I have witnessed such phenomenon. It is not a likely issue in your case. There are many reasons for controlling flowing wells and the onus usually falls on the owner. One reason may be to prevent creation of sinks in the backyard.

If the well is completed or restored properly, the pump is installed with the use of a pitless adapter. These adapters will be under water inside the well if the overflow is not installed below the adapter. There are also suppression plugs that will fit inside steel casing and below the adapter that can shut the flow down if required. I would not shut down a flow of water if the well is not fixed to direct all flow through the casing. Seepage through hydraulic leaking must be controlled before installing a suppression plug. Sorry but I just do not have a schematic to present . Overflow wells have been used to create ponds but there should be a controlled outlet on the pond. If the flow is not stopped, the overflow eventually must go somewhere.

First I would turn the valve back open on the old well. This may release any pressure that is forcing the water up at the tree. Which could be come through the bed rock, up the outside of the well casting or a rupture in the casting.

If this does stop the water from coming up at the tree. Then the tree may still be standing if the valve hadn't been turned off. The water under mined it's root structure.

This is an easy fix doesn't cost anything. As far as the neighbor is concerned unless the overflow pipe is crossing her property and leaking out it's not your problem.

My first thought is that you have a really interesting problem that may have a really easy solution. There are probably thousands of people who do home brewing that would die for this natural source of water that has not been treated with chemicals. There is probably a brewers club in your area. If I were you, I would try to find a way to make money from this gift of nature. You may the new American version of the Avian water company.

Marketing 101: find a need and fill it.

Normally, except:

"Yes, there is a septic tank with drain fields between the deep artesian well and the more recent flow."

Might give it a bit of a nutty flavor...

Evening All, I had lots of fun with Byron Jay's comment the other day with ladies in town.

Was sick over weekend and recovering nicely now.

Your comment I read just now Cuba_pete made my day!

And, no, I didn't test the water (smile). My husband brought pistachios home and I made a pig of myself a few nights and had a bout of diverticulitis. This is a new phase for me and I am learning.

On the water flow, after it was suggested we check our overflow at the pump, we went out and checked. The overflow had been turned off. My husband was surprised to find it that way. He opened it back about half-way, not listening to my suggestion that he open it all the way. This has not stopped the new flow.

When I asked him to explain how the overflow worked, he said, "The water comes up through the pipe and just before it gets to the suction of the pump, there is an overflow pipe that allows it to flow continually so that it does not silt up."

I had let this issue go for a while as I have not felt like checking further.

I will come back to this thread when I have something to add.

Thanks for all your good advise and fun!

Are you not concerned with the obvious probable cross contamination problem with this water that you drink? There is a free flow of septic overflow/effluent and your artesian well.

I was a licensed supplier of public potable water in a small community., and a codes enforcement officer, I have and would shut down a system such as you described, for public consumption, in a heart beat. If I knew in an official capacity I would be obligated to report this situation. Codes Officers do not have all the answers, or possibilities. This really is not a joking matter, ie: "nutty flavor".

I would rehab your system as soon as humanly possible, were I in your shoes. The thought of not doing so, of the possibilities are horrifying. But it is your choice, I'll probably never visit your home, so it is no skin off my nose.

The overflow or effluent from this well can easily be piped to the pond nearby, and using reeds etc. to provide a natural filter sounds like a solution to that. The leaching field is another contributing factor, the requires remediation.

All of this overflow, of course, has to be approved by the Public agencies of your State as it will be a defined possible point source of pollution.

Good luck your liability in this is huge, and you are obligated to inform the local or State agencies of this source.

I do thank you for your concern and, of course, had some of the same myself a few years back when a neighbor went around his property and ours spraying everything with Roundup on more than one occasion. We tried to garden as organically as possible and did not use chemicals on our vegetable garden when we had one. I was concerned that Roundup chemicals could leach down to our artesian water and later had our well water tested at a state lab. All was fine. Our artisian well is over 350 feet deep. And, we are presently taking care of recent problem.

One good thing about Roundup (specifically) is that it breaks down readily when exposed to sunlight and is lighter than water. The EPA "recommends" the use of Roundup for phragmites control thoughout the southeastern USA. They spray that stuff from helicopters! Anyhow, check out the MSDS if you have further questions about Roundup.

You should hear about what is "safe" to fog for mosquitos with in the US!