We are going to replace the timber at our hand pump in the garden. There are fairly thick boards placed over the well itself, with a wooden lid made of slightly narrower wood in the middle. The pump stands on the boards, in the middle. The entire wood assembly together measures about 1.5 by 1 meter. We are considering whether to choose pressure-treated timber, but someone said it would look unsightly. The idea is not to drink the water but rather to take water from the pump to fill the watering cans. At the same time, it's an old farm, and we want it to look "nice." For a while, we considered putting in railway sleepers, but maybe that's too thick. Any suggestions?
Pressure-treated is not entirely ideal if the water is to be used. It poses a risk to both the plants that are to be watered and to those who unknowingly drink the water. Purchase untreated wood in some thicker dimension and replace it when it has broken down due to weather and other factors. Occasionally, you might find oak, which is more resistant to rot.
That was a bit about what I was thinking, that the pressure-treated wood might affect plants and such if you water with it, but at the same time, it would be nice to avoid replacing it after a while. I'll have a chat with my partner and see how much the water will be used. It would be sad to live in an eventually dead garden.
pressure-treated wood isn't that dangerous. Otherwise, every lawn around decks would be dead 
But I have an alternative. Ordinary wood and tar. Now it becomes beautifully golden brown and moisture resistant
But I have an alternative. Ordinary wood and tar. Now it becomes beautifully golden brown and moisture resistant
With normal wood of good quality, it should last for a whole lot of years or do you replace the lid monthly?
Pressure-treated wood comes in different classifications depending on toxicity, but the type you typically buy for decks, etc. as a private individual is fairly harmless. I wouldn't worry about using it for a well cover, but Class M and similar types used in telephone poles and pier pilings should probably be avoided for licking
Thank you for all the answers. It's just that you want it to last for a while. What is being built is not "just" a well cover but can be described more as a small wooden deck, like a mini patio with the wooden cover in the middle, the pump right next to the well cover sticking up from the wooden surface. It's terribly rotten now and with both children and animals on the farm, you want to avoid it breaking. But it leans towards "regular" pressure-treated wood, we won't be pumping up so much water that it needs the impregnation level for piers .
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