It is necessary to waterproof the intake structure so that it does not depressurize. It will also protect the water well from harmful substances that contain groundwater. If done correctly, contamination will not enter the reservoir and the source will not lose clean liquid.
The need to waterproof the well from groundwater
In accordance with the SNiP regulations, all drinking tanks require a thorough coating with a layer of waterproofing, which protects against the destructive and polluting effects of subsoil waters.
Soil streams can not only spoil the contents of the well, they negatively affect the structure. Sealing the seams of the wellbore protects it from destruction and preserves the purity of the water.
Wells in wet soils are covered with waterproofing so that it exceeds the level of occurrence of subsurface sources by 0.5 m.
If high-quality waterproofing of the well structure has not been carried out, this can lead to the appearance of fungal deposits on the inner walls of the structure, which can provoke a complete or partial destruction of the well shaft.
Waterproofing materials
Internal and external waterproofing of the well is carried out:
- membrane and roll building materials;
- two-component formulations;
- coating preparations;
- mixtures on an astringent mineral base;
- bitumen-polymer mastics.
The choice of building material depends on the method of sealing, financial capabilities and the time of waterproofing - it goes at the stage of erecting a well or after. The set of tools is also selected according to this principle.
Effective waterproofing methods
The drinking water well can be sealed from dirt from the outside or from the inside. For each option, its own, most suitable methods have been developed. But in any case, the joints and cracks are sealed first, and then the general waterproofing is performed.
Outdoor work
If the work is carried out in the process of repairing a hydraulic structure, you will need to prepare the base. To do this, the well is freed from the ground to a depth of three meters, the destroyed concrete is knocked down with a hammer, the surfaces are washed and cleaned, the protruding reinforcement is covered with a rust converter. Only then can you start the main work.
External isolation from groundwater can be carried out by the following methods:
- by laying roll materials;
- using penetrating compounds;
- by applying shotcrete mixtures using special guns.
After finishing the coating, the space around the well shaft is filled with a mixture of sand, clay and rubble, rammed, and a blind area is created. You can make a clay castle.
It is more profitable to carry out all these works at the stage of arranging a well structure. It is impractical to waterproof the finished structure from the outside below three meters - labor costs will be too high.
Internal sealing
Waterproofing a well from the inside from groundwater requires draining it. If the flow rate is increased, it will be necessary to conduct constant pumping by pressure equipment.
The surface of the shaft is preliminarily cleaned from dirt and polished. Cracks and crevices are slightly widened, treated with a metal brush and sealed with a cement-polymer composition.
To seal the water shaft from the inside, you can apply:
- Cement mixtures - ready-made or self-diluted. They are applied to the surface with a spatula in two layers of 4 mm each.
- Bituminous gasoline paint. The mine is covered with a composition in three layers in stages, since each dries for 12 hours.
- Cement-polymer compositions, for example, from cement powder and water glass. Such materials are applied in three layers with a spatula.
Sealing polymer materials are the most expensive, but at the same time they are most effective and last up to half a century. The best recommendations are for a film polymer membrane. It's easy to apply. First, the surface is covered with mastic from the inside and allowed to dry for a day. Then they are pasted over with foil. To do this, you need to unfold the roll, press the membrane to the surface and expel air from under it, paste over the entire trunk.
The bottom in the water intake springs is not waterproofed, because the reservoir is filled with water through the filter installed there. Protective work is carried out if the structure is, for example, storage or observation. Also, complete waterproofing is required for dry well shafts used, for example, as caissons.
It is possible to carry out waterproofing work, although it is laborious, on your own. But this must be done. Due to insufficient sealing, you will have to spend money on expensive repairs of one or several parts of the structure. It is better to seal the well while assembling the well. But if this did not work out, it is possible to put water protection in the existing water intake.
