Introduction: Water Saving Valve Box

About: My name is Drew and I like to make things.

I have a property on a hill with lots of water in the winter and spring and not enough in the summer.
Water is collected and used and directed from rooftops and ground water so that instead of running under the house it can be used in a pond and then into a couple of small water features.Even in the summer when I water my grapes the water is collected after passing through the soil at the back of my house. The problem that this build solves was that in dry weather I want my roses along my driveway watered. In the wet weather I want to avoid having mud and running water on the surface. I had a pipe running along the side of my driveway and to get rid of the excess water and I would remove a section of this pipe in the summer so  water would be available for the roses . Last fall I was kind of busy and forgot to replace the pipe and when the rains came I had mud. I needed a valve box to switch between water using and water redirecting.

Step 1: Form Bottom....Box Top

Step 2: Inner Form

This is the form to create the inside of the box. ABS pipe will make the holes  and the wood band was to make a sluice gate.

Step 3: Inner Form and Outer Form.

This is the finished form . I used WD40 on the pipes since it smells better than diesel and it was closer. They popped out good so it worked.

Step 4: Poured

I use clamps instead of nails on small stuff . I used a concrete vibrator to remove the air and added a generous handful of fibermesh. I just love that stuff!

Step 5: Stripping

Step 6: Out of It's Form

Step 7: Plan B

 Plan B. Every project is a living thing that seems to have a free will. This project was going to have a sluice gate but then it became clear that since I used 3" ABS for the holes in the concrete and since they make threaded caps for 3 "ABS ........

Step 8: Ready to Install.

Step 9: DONE!

The pipe on the right is the uphill inlet.
The pipe on the left is the downhill winter (rainy season) outlet.
The pipe on the top is the summer (dry season ) outlet.

Step 10:

3rd Epilog Challenge

Participated in the
3rd Epilog Challenge