Thread: Developing a Natural Spring

We have a cistern fed by a natural spring. The original spring has dried up but we have found enough water coming out the hillside to keep a family of 6 in plenty of water. My problem is - I have 3 - 3/4" flex black hose coming from the hillside. They all originate under a large tree just up the hill from the cistern. I found the water running out of the hill - dug down and felt it flowing and stuck the pipes in. There has got to be a better way to do this. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Should I cut down the tree and try to get it all into one pipe (easier to bury for winter)? How can I develop these into better sources? They were tested to have bacteria (you can see a film on the water if you let it sit) and were told to get a UV light.

Advise - suggestions - help!!!!

I have seen where they dig them out a few feet and install a concrete box with no water. The box is part way filled with gravel and the piping to the cistern or a pump is installed. Almost at he top of the box will have (1 or 2) 4” PVC pipes to keep the box form over flowing. There is a cover on the top to access the insides.

I have seen these to be as small as a few feet foe cistern. I have seen these the size of a small septic tank for systems with pumps.

I have never installed these but I have worked on them.

Our cistern is probably 15-20 feet from where I think the spring comes up and a good 4-5 feet lower than the spring. My biggest problem is fighting around the roots of the tree to get to the water. I don't want to remove the tree and mess up the flow of the spring but its not functional as it is. I'll try the box and see how that goes.

There is a bacteria that I was told needed to be sterilized with a UV light. Is this normal? If I can get it deeper could this go away?

Thanks for the help.