Water for Life 29
Build a spring box to capture the water
A protected spring should also have a covered spring box made of masonry, brick or
concrete with an overflow pipe.
Springs may be far from where people live, making water collection difficult. If water
is piped from a spring, the spring box built to direct water into pipes may also help
protect the water from contamination.
Parts of a spring box
Sand or gravel
Water flows
from here
Overflow pipe
with screen to
keep insects out
Outlet pipe
Scour pipe
to flush out
spring box
Screen to
filter out dirt
This shows a spring box with 1 side cut away to see how the inside looks.
Pipes and spring boxes need cleaning often
Spring boxes need to be monitored to ensure that the spring continues to provide safe
water. Silt, leaves, dead animals and other things can collect in the pipes and spring
box and block the pipes or contaminate the water. Putting a wire screen on the pipe
leading into the spring box will prevent unsafe things from entering pipes. Cleaning the
screen every now and again will ensure a steady flow of water.