Spring Development Two - Part One

This is the pipe for the second spring that is being developed to supply the barn with water. It will also have a faucet for the garden.

VIDEO OF OVERALL SPRING DESIGN

Bob taking a break from running the machine.

The guys think we should open a quarry as we have unearthed several substantial rocks. I wish I had a backhoe.

The frost free faucet is loosely sitting in the ground, and will supply the garden and the other fields with water when we want it.

This rock was too big to deal with. The pipe went around it.

The chickens kept pace with the backhoe, and almost got mashed a couple of times.

The old pipe going to who knows where, with the new pipe taking over.

Heating the pipe for stretch and flexibility to fit and shrink over the metal fitting.

The last connection on this end. Tomorrow the tank gets placed and connected.

VIDEO OF THE CONNECTION TO THE BARN BEING FINISHED

Spring Development - Part Two

Saturday was the trench digging on the inside of the fences. We still were left with the mystery of where the black pipe from the spring really went. It didn't seem to be going to the connection by the driveway near the barn. So we decided that the spring was going to feed the frost free faucet (say that fast three times!!) in the alley. The holding tank needed perforations to let the spring water in. Gravity is going to feed it down the four inch pipe to a one inch pipe. That combo provides a good bit of pressure.

That took us to the alley in the middle of the pastures.

Dave and Jock ride down to the alley to test the water going to the faucet via the pump in the hole.

OK. It works so far.

They needed to get some water out to see what they were digging.

Tyler does some of the hand digging and rock "finessing". We have some nice rocks now.

The rest of the pipe was placed in the trench and hooked up, with one blow out when the water was first tested.

The cement tank was submerged in the spring after the hole was made a little deeper.

The final connection was made, and it was time to test the line again.

Confident, the trench is filled in and smoothed over.

Time to go down the hill on the Deere and witness the success.

We have to wait for the spring to fill the hole, to get new water in the tank, and down the pipe.

Hooked up and ready to go.

We have to wait a few days for the sediment to settle, and we should have clear water for the animals.

Spring Development

The fences haven't been on for two days, but don't tell the goats.

When we knew we needed to get some equipment in to solve the water leak mystery, Bob's name came up. He had consulted out here last August with the NRCS guys about developing our springs.

We thought we might over lap these problems and projects, depending on if and where we found the leak. We were fairly certain it was between the house and the barn, so it affected the barn the most.

We knew that we had some old springs and pipes, but didn't know origins or where there might be a storage tank, or IF there were any storage tanks. As we were exploring the holes to locate the leak, we re-found a pipe that heads uphill. To where, and what is in between was another story.Bob came up last Sunday and dug up one area where we always have water and we were told was the old water source for the barn. It filled up pretty clean.

We also have two other constant springs in the field facing the barn. Bob felt that all the springs were good, but two were very good. We decided to develop one and see how it goes. No more worrying about municipal water and hauling from the barn.

So here began the dirt mess. The trench is about three to four feet deep, and they were able to dig under the fence to make it all the way down to where a faucet will go.

Friday took us to the fence line.

Catch up tomorrow.

Water Mess - Part Two

OK! Well! The pros and their machines have been here for three days.

The chickens have been happy with their work, and their eggs should be super high protein!

The water leak was found, but it took until the end of the first day.

Once found, it was apparent why we couldn't find a wet area once we saw where the drip was. This is underneath the storm water drain. It is a ceramic pipe and it is surrounded with rock. The leak just trickled underneath the pipe in the rock base and disappeared somewhere down into a spring or stream eventually. It explains why we never saw any wet areas in the yard.

It took a couple tries to get the new hose attached but two days later, there is no more drip.

Now onto the next part of this mess...

Water Mess

That's the unofficial name for three weeks of trying to find a water leak in our municipal supply. That water is dollars draining somewhere. We need to find where, before it gets worse, and before winter.

If you wonder why the blog posts have dropped off, this is part of it.

We first tested every toilet and faucet for leaks. Once that was shored up, we looked in the barn and yard.We dug in all the places there have been problems before, or where we know there are junctions and shut offs.

This has been days and hours of digging, timing, yelling, calling, to find out where the leak, at least, was not.

This is the mess we were able to make on our own, thanks to Dave doing all the digging - I helped only a little.

We finally have called for help and machinery. More to come.