We recently bought a 1920 house. I found the original plumber's notes that stated water to the house was from an artesian well and municipal supply. I discovered the well in a little room beneath part of our detached garage. The pump was gone, the plpes mostly disconnected, but there is a very large pressure tank and there was an 8" casing, a 5" casing in that, and a 2" sleeve with sucker rods visible. The overall physical setting was appropriate for a shallow artesian well and there are still some in use for stock watering on farms in the area. I was hopeful of a shallow well for irrigation.

I was able to figure out that the well was abandoned more than 50 years ago so it was an unknown quantity. I had the sleeve and sucker rods pulled to discover the water is at 75 feet and the bottom of the well is at 193 feet. Hardly artesian in the technical sense. It turned out the sleeve was full of water-all the valves had held for 50+ years and the steel and wood sucker road were in good condition. I could have pumped, hindsight being what it is. At least I have some nice brass artifacts.

My plan is to use the well as the source of water for a simple irrigation system I hope to plan over the winter and install in the spring. I have no idea of water draw-down or water quality although I have no reason to suspect any contamination.

Our irrigation system is simple and direct, hopefully. Pumped water will be pumped through a 1" pipe about 40 feet with a three foot head. Some shrubs and flowers will be along side the line. The pipe then turns and runs down a steady grade for about 70 feet with more flowers and plants along the way. Finally, it drops over a three-foot high stone wall and runs another 40 feet on the level through the center of a vegetable garden about 8 feet wide on each side of the pipe. At the end of the pipe there will be a plug for seasonal draining. Alternately I might have a connector and ball valve for a short hose to replenish water in our pond.

It is possible I will "T" off the top pipe and run maybe a 40-foot downhill line to irrigate some lawn. I prefer not to do that but my wife has her own thoughts right now.

For most of the way I would use heads that spray 180 degrees and in the vegetable garden something to spray in all directions.

My plan is to install a deep well jet pump (I have electricity for that but not 220 for a submersible and bringing that power in would be too expensive) using flexible plastic pipe of whatever diameter in the well, with a pressure tank (the existing old one is too big and questionable in integrity) and similar flexible pipe with the sprinkler heads installed along the way. The water delivery pipe will be on the surface, covered with mulch and out of foot traffic areas except in the vegetable garden. When it doesn't rain, if what we are having ever stops, walk to the garage, hit the switch, irrigate for a while, whatever that is, turn off the switch.

That seems simple, well within my experience and abilities, but now having lurked here for a while I wonder if I am underestimating the whole thing.

I have tons of questions such as--is this viable; is there any way to determine water draw down and quality in the well before investing in a pump (I expect to go to about 125 feet, 50 feet below standing surface now); what equipment issues are there?

This is a long post trying to set the stage for comments, guidance, critique, help. Maybe there can be later posts on individual topics as you identify them for me.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Mike