Overflowing Well

Background

At a cottage in the heart of Rutland the householders new kitchen was flooded each time that there was a sudden downpour of rain after a prolonged dry spell. 

I was called to investigate. 

At the end of the garden were the remains of an old hand pump stand - the green object in this picture.

Cause

This was the hand pump which stood on top of a well which had been capped off umpteen years ago. 

It was fortunate that the occupant of an adjoining cottage had lived there for over 60 years and she had a good memory of how the cottages were supplied by the well in the past. When I spoke with her she informed me that the well had supplied fresh water to a single stand pipe in the corner of the kitchen where the floods were occurring. Upon closer examination it was found that under the new fitted cupboard was an old lead pipe which had been cut-off at floor level. It was likely that this had been previously capped off or sweated closed and had been disturbed during the kitchen re-fit.

Immediately outside this position in the kitchen I excavated below the paving slabs until I found the old lead pipe from the well.

Remedy

I didn't want to just cut off the pipe as it would then flood below the paving slabs - nor did I want to cap it off as this could cause the well to overflow into the garden. I therefore decided to divert the pipe into a nearby gully.

I then replaced the paving slabs.

Now when the well overflows it does so into the gully and not the house.