The Land - cool, clear water...

We've learned a lot about what not to do...  The pump is rather small.  It is submersible and hangs approximately 180' from the well cap.  The last time we pulled it out we took a few pictures.

Connected to the top of the pump are the electrical cord, the hose through which the water travels, and a rope which supports all of the weight.

After we first dropped the pump in 1999 it remained for many years with very little protection from the elements around the well cap.  What little protection we tried to implement failed in keeping out the elements and the pests.  As a result the rope started to look weak and frayed.  I would panic about the condition of that rope.   In 2007 we were ready to install a second pump - we had installed 6" well casing so that there could be two pumps in the well.  When we were ready to install the second pump we pulled the first to replace the rope and ensure it was secure.

The second pump is a manual backup - the Simple Pump allows us to draw water when the sun is not out.  After completing the drop of the solar pump we then dropped the Simple Pump 10' length of pipe by 10' length of pipe nearly 200 feet to the static water level.  We then plumbed up an elaborate system of bypasses so that we could move the water to a storage tank or to an outdoor faucet as needed.  We sanitized the well and then sealed up the cap to ensure that the water quality remained uncontaminated.

We then built the most permanent shed to date - though woefully inadequate in retrospect...

A while after we made these decisions we ended up having to face the mistakes we made.  #1 - in sealing the cap of the well we effectively cut off the water because the air cannot enter the well for displacement.  In other words, we sealed it too well!  For the past 10 years we have not been able to use the well.  #2 - in building the shed we created a harbor for rodents who took the place over.  In an effort to reclaim the shed in 2016 Husband took on a mighty project of creating a concrete trench complete with a metal mesh barrier that circles and attaches to the plywood floor of the shed.  Since then we are confident there is no new rodent activity, but we still have to tear it down.  We also need to remedy the sealed cap issue - which is no small task.  The weight hanging from the cap is significant and we will have to engineer a solution to lifting it....(we have some ideas).  We then have to build yet another building - this time one that will keep out the pests.

On the plus side we are confident the well was not contaminated by the rodents because the cap is sealed so tightly!

Though we made these mistakes in 2007 we have not been able to fix them.  Brother was born in 2009 and we have had different priorities. It has been difficult to work on projects while at the same time keeping an eye on little people.  Getting the water flowing is a priority - to have the water flowing again will help push us and this project to where it needs to be.