I have a similar setup, using the same dam. Since I am on the Gulf coast, I didn’t have the rock issue you faced. Started out with a gal/min output. A year later it has tapered off to a steady gal/ 3 min. Not conducive for a ram pump, but still good drinking water anyway. Congratulations! Job well done ~ Dan 🦊
It seems like the outlet of the spring, where it comes out of the mountain, is the perfect size to jam in a 4" PVC pipe and plug the gaps with concrete. All you'd need is a 90° bend to route around the boulder.
You did an excellent job and have a nice spring. I live on rainwater from gutters(with a roofwash that cleans the rainwater which goes directly to my cistern) and have a ground water spring to supplement my rain water. I have a video here on mine. You have a nice flowing spring. You will have an unlimited water to supply a large household. Very good job!
@@RopesandWings The rain water from the house gutters is filtered thru a screen, then thru a circular white fibered filter an inch thick which filters out all other minute particles, and goes directly to the cistern. The spring water is filtered thru a sediment box exactly like yours(only much smaller). That is the only filtering for the spring water. But there are no particulates after this filtering. The water is crystal clear. The spring water is then sent to the cistern. I chlorinate all the water in the cistern and then it is pumped into the house. As far as bacteria and e-coli are concerned- the rainwater has no bacteria at all, but the spring water does have bacteria which is cleaned with the chlorine. I have my water tested at an EPA testing lab periodically. If it werent for the spring water, I could drink it(AND I HAVE) but because of the spring, we dont drink it anymore. Incidently, we have not had to use spring water or had to haul any water in 14 months. We have lived entirely on rainwater for the last 14 months
@@gordoncrowley Sounds like a great system! We had to gravity feed the spring water from the holding tank to the house, cause we lost our well pump for two months!
Nice job. What made you decide to place the dam further down from where the spring exits the hill? More chance for debris and run off if the tarp doesn't cover. Also in winter do you shut it down because of freezing pipes. Those rams do make some noise 24 hours a day seven days a week. But free. Gotta love it.
I had to go further out from the spring head due to the large rocks and how it was naturally laid out. Wish I could have put it in closer but the shape of the rocks would not let me. I back filled with gravel and plastic over top to keep debris out. I let it run all winter long so my pipes don't freeze.
@@RopesandWings Great job. There’s another channel WNC Base Camp where he actually did a job where he caught the water coming out of the rocks similar to yours. I think he used hydraulic cement. You should check it out.
Not entirely sure it's been a long time. If you are talking about the couplings that go into the barrel They are treaded with a compression gasket on both sides then into PVC pipe that runs into the collection barrel. The drive pipe that goes to the ram is steel.
I believe you could find PVC fittings that can connect the hose to the spring box. I have had trouble in the past with hose because of their short lifespan. They just keep blowing out. Definitely don't use hose from your catchment system to the ram pump or whatever pump you use cuz the pressure will definitely blow that hose.
Sorry there is no filter. You just have large gravel behind dam, water goes through gravel to collection tank and there any sediment falls to bottom of tank and I flush it periodically.
That's why our Tennessee whiskey is so good all of our water is running through limestone haha. At most it adds trace minerals to the water mainly calcium.
