A spring box is a structure engineered to allow
groundwater
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...
to be obtained from a
natural spring. The spring box functions to protect the spring water from
contamination
Contamination is the presence of a constituent, impurity, or some other undesirable element that renders something unsuitable, unfit or harmful for the physical body, natural environment, workplace, etc.
Types of contamination
Within the scien ...
, normally by
surface runoff
Surface runoff (also known as overland flow or terrestrial runoff) is the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface, in contrast to ''channel runoff'' (or ''stream flow''). It occurs when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other ...
or contact with human and animals, and provides a point of collection and a place for
sedimentation
Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to th ...
. In many instances it also acts as the principal water storage for the household water supply. The area surrounding the spring box should be fenced off in order to reduce the risk of contamination from animal feces. An overflow pipe should be installed into the spring box, as well as a sedimentation drain and the supply lines to & from it, and it should also have a well fitting lid.
If the flow rate is relatively high, a spring box may not be necessary. Instead, a pipe can be driven horizontally into the spring. These systems are sometimes known as horizontal wells, although the pipe should not be completely horizontal; it should slope downwards away from the spring in order to reduce the risk of contamination.
Appropriate technology
Water supply
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