Richard's Notes

We live in a rural part of Connecticut. Around here people have wells drilled (a lot of ledge and very deep water table) and have septic systems put in. No city/town services like that.

Our well is 125′ deep and produces plenty of water, but we also have a stream in our backyard that runs almost all year round, except for the very dryest days in August. So, I bought a small 2 cycle Echo pump and I use it to pump the stream into the garden. Well, the pump produces enough pressure to run a small sprinkler system. I also walk around and water fruit trees and everything else with water from the stream.

Why use the well pump and the electricity to run it and pump clean water into the garden when the steam will do just fine and hey, move that water onto the garden, it sinks in and then where does it go? Back to the stream eventually.

Since our property is on a hill and the stream come down the hill and the garden is at the bottom of it, so to speak, I could, if I were industrious, build a small canal or pipe, capturing the stream at the top of our property and diverting it into the garden. Put a small valve in and one can then turn off the stream at will. This is how our pond works: a piece of PVC diverts the stream into it and keeps it (sort of) full.

Until I get industrious, this small pump will have to do.