The suggestions you already received are the lowest-cost option available to you. The other option is to tear down the kitchen, then use heavy equipment to fill the old well. So how does the idea of carrying buckets of sand in to do the fill sound now? Hand-dug wells had the dirt lifted out one bucket at a time. Reverse the process.

I have to agree. The lowest cost option is to do exactly as was suggested.

I had a similar situation- although it was a cistern. The house was built in 1890 without indoor plumbing and the Kitchen and bath were added later in the 1920's. They built over the cisten when they added the kitchen and bath.

I cut a hole in the subfloor and filled it with plaster and other materials that came from the construction(no wood).

In your case, I would uses sand (or small gravel)since it is a well and therefore is getting water from an underground source. You don't want to contaminate the water source.

I would try to get some measurements on it so you know approximately how much sand you need. You can put a weight on a string and drop it down until you find the bottom, then pull it up and measure it. Then measure the diameter of the hole and do the math.

why not pipe to it, seal it off at the top and use the water as you would gray water, for gardening, car washing etc.?

Great ideas!

The "well" is 15 inches in diameter and 17 feet deep.

I'm now wondering if it's a cistern because I saw a picture of one on Wikipedia and it was very similiar - it has a cement ring around the top and then stone walls down the interior.

I think filling it with sand and then a layer of clay would be our best, most reasonably priced, option ---unless we can get a cheap price on piping!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Here's a (really bad) picture:

Using that water for washing the car is not an option.

The water from that well is technically defined as "Non-Potable Water"

The plumbing codes will permit a source of non-potable water for limited irrigation purposes or mechanical process water.

In a residential environment when non-potable water is used for irrigation it is limited to lawn and shrubs but under no circumstances may it be used to irrigate a garden plot which is primarily intended to produce foodstuffs for human consumption.

Mechanical process water is defined as the water as a circulating closed loop brine in a hydronic heating or cooling system or as energy source water for a geothermal heating & cooling system.

When establishing a non-potable water source ALL above grade piping, valves and faucets MUST BE painted bright yellow and all faucets or outlets must be equipped with a bright yellow sign with 2" red block lettering indicating "NON-POTABLE WATER"

Most residential plumbing codes would prohibit piping from that well to an exterior faucet but in the rare event that you might be permitted to do so, keep in mind that children love to play in water or with water hoses and you can be held both civilly and criminally liable for any injury to heath or death that might arise from that non-potable water source. In my humble opinion it simply is not worth the risk.

On the other hand, your well is 15" in diameter and 17' deep.

The total volume of that well is 36,312cu.in or 21cu.ft

Sand is generally sold by the cubic yard. The total volume of your well is 0.77cu.yds

Lazypup - Thanks for the info! This definately makes me think filling it is the safer, wiser option! And, thanks for the calculations! We'll be ordering sand today!

Geez...what a headache!

My following statements are by no means intended to offend anyone who has to observe codes in their day to day endeavors.
Although codes are implemented with good intentions and many to protect people and property, the blanket codes are done for consistency in mind more so than accuracy or necessity. Don't be too intimated by the technicalities regarding the potability of the dug well. It is true, the water from that well is technically defined as non-potable. If your municipality would ever run a public water system through your area, your existing well that you use every day, right now, would be condemned and technically be deemed non-potable and fall into the same exact category and, you would be required to pipe to the public works. Even if they never do it, knowing it would be condemned won't stop you from using it now. The same as the folks who used that shallow well since the 1700's used it (children and all) until whenever it was upgraded for more reliability in heavy usage and convenience of an electric pump.
In this area, any water less than 100 feet is considered surface water and non-potable although just a few miles up the road into Pa., there are hundreds of rural homes with wells at 100-125 feet.
Surface water can contain nitrates (mainly from farming) along with the possibility of heavy metals and less desirable bacteria, depending on the past uses of the land and what the aquifer has been exposed to. There is most likely no harm in using that water for washing the car or watering the garden other than the code restrictions mentioned. It's done with rain water and gray water all the time.
You would have certainly smelled offensive odors long before you removed the floor if the water was polluted or stagnant. It is most likely naturally recycling. You have something there that many people wish they had, especially during the widespread droughts of late. Ask anyone in the Ga. area !!!
If you prefer to fill it rather than make handy non-potable use of it, you should attempt to empty it. As you add materials, the water will start rising. To determine your cubic inch displacement the formula is (Pi)3.1416 times the diameter squared, times the depth of the well.

I think that opening looks bigger than 15 inches.
Also, the formula is pie x radius squared x lenght

Pi x D squared x length is correct

uh oh....sorry, no it's not, not until you divide that answer by 4

I don't know where maryland irisman is getting his formulas but they certainly did not come out of any recognized math book.

To compute the volume of a cylinder you must first compute the area of the circle represented by the diameter then multiply that by the length of the cylinder.

The recognized formula for the area of a circle is:
Pi R Squared
Where R is the radius (1/2 the diameter).

In the example above the diameter is 15" therefore the radius is 15/2= 7.5" (R= D/2)

A (area) = pi R squared
Where:
Pi = 3,1416 & R=7,5"
A= 3.1416 x (7.5 x 7.5)
A= 3.1416 x 56.25sq.in.
A= 176.715sq.in (round off to 177sq.in.

The depth is 17ft however we cannot multiply inches times feet therefore we must first convert to common units.
D(expressed in inches)= 17' x 12in/ft = 204"

V (volume) = A x L (area x length)
Where:
A = 177sq.in
L= 204"
V= 177sq.in x 204" = 36,108cu.in

1 cubic foot = 1728cu.in (12" x 12" x 12" = 1728cu.in)

V expressed in cubic feet is then:
36,108cu,in / 1728cu.in = 20.895cu.ft (round to 21cu.ft)

Sand is sold by the cubic yard.
1cu.yd = 27cu.ft (3' x 3' x 3' =27cu.ft.)

The total volume is then 21/27cu.ft

To convert the fraction to a decimal divide the numerator by the denominator.
21/27 = 0.77cu,yd.

Taking this to the next level, one cu.yd of dry sand weighs approximately 1 ton (2000lbs) therefore you have to carry approximately 0.77 x 2000lbs =1540lbs of sand to fill the well.

Now that we have the math covered, the other issue was regarding using it as a source of gray water...

If this is a cistern, as we suspect, it is just a storage tank. It's filled from the downspouts - which have probably been removed. Fill it in so it doesn't cause you problems if/when it caves in or during an inspection when you sell the house. You may have to pump out the water to avoid it overflowing when you put the sand in.

If you want to make rain barrels for water storage, you can do that. You can find instructions on the web.

well lazypup, since you see a need to be rude, I'll join you...you don't seem to be familiar with math books after all. The formula I provided is used in mechanical engineering to determine the volume of a cylinder. It is the very simple method. Give someone a tape measure and they can give you a diameter of a circle. Then they can measure the depth and do the math. Pi times the diameter squared times the length divided by 4 cut and dry. There's more than one way to skin the cat. This is one of them

Here's a link that will help you http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/volume.html

By golly where i come from pie r round, cornbread r square.

And both are good!!!

I always used d^2*0.785

0.785= pi/4

Of course when I took math classes I always used diffrent ways to solve the problems just to annoy the instructor that expected everyone to do it the way he taught.

Either way you calculate that will be alot of sand to move.

Labradoodlemom,

Because the issue has varying opinions, it aroused my curiosity and I did some basic research for you. Before you fill it in, if that's what you choose to do, find out for sure if it is a cistern or a well. Find out where the piping that exists in the hole, terminates at the other end. Also determine the source of the water. You want to make sure it's not going to continue to be fed or cause an issue elsewhere under or around the home. Regarding future real estate issues, you are going to have to reveal the location of decommissioned wells, tanks etc. anyhow. Your area may also require documentation or certification that it has been properly decommissioned and sealed. You indicate the water is about 8 feet from the top. That means the water is about 9 feet deep which is substantial. Try pumping it out and see how fast it recovers. If it is recovering quickly, you may have to use more aggressive methods to seal it.

I still say use the water for gardening etc. Just about every area in the country is encouraging the use of cisterns for that purpose. It protects the waterways by allowing more time for the water to be distributed into the soil instead of washing silt and other undesirables into the waterways. That way, you can inexpensively seal the top and if functional, actually enhance the value of the property. It would be very politically correct and a lot less effort and expense than properly decommissioning it.

While your local laws may allow for use of water from this type of well, or even a cistern, here in Colorado that would be totally illegal. A well MUST have a permit, and getting one is not easy. It must be the only source of water available for the house, and could have restrictions placed on it. Rain water is also controlled, and cannot legally be held for future use.

Water is controlled here almost as much as Liquor!!

DP

dalepar,

I spent some years in Colo. near Col. Springs. I remember the water laws in that area to be some of the most stringent I had seen.

I'm from florida and by golly I'd make me waterfall out of that there thing!~ LOL sorry had to chime.

Well better late than neverÂ
First, someone stated that the minute municipal water is available, you are pressured to use it and pay the fees  but the water was fine the week before!  its just more money out of your pocket.
Second, if it is spring fed, wont filling it with sand possible lead to it flooding? Jepordizing the structure and/ or foundation system?
Third, if it is preexisting, wouldnÂt this lend itself as a positive if this was converted into a Âbe it limited- water supply? If testing proves that it is not stagnant or full of organics?
Forth, I think it is awesome to have a well from possibily the 1700Âs! just awesome!
And. . . . did you try to drop that magnet down there to fish for artifacts?

I think labradoodle should write here and tell us what they did.

Surely someone has some interesting remodeling ideas and uses for the old well perhaps putting a thick plastic lid on the top of it is still at all but have lights down inside of it