Services FAQ's > Borehole drilling

Industrial Water Equipment Limited provides drilling services for the agricultural, household and industrial sector of The UK , Ireland and Europe. This service includes the drilling of water-boreholes, test holes, auger drilling and geological holes on request for a wide range of clients. Industrial Water Equipment limited also offers a wide range of post borehole treatment to ensure water quality throughout the project.

What are the main reasons a borehole is installed for?

Many people with access to the mains prefer to use water that has not been processed for public supply. Water from your own borehole is chemical and additive free. So there is no added fluoride or chlorine.
In fact, most of the bottled water available from the shops comes from boreholes.

Do I need permission to drill a borehole?

If you are a residential owner of a borehole it is legal to take upto 20,000 ltrs a day This is an immense volume and only a small amount of households could ever reach this level of consumption.

With The Water Act 2003, the law is being changed, and when enacted, we understand that supplies of less than 20m3/day will only require registration and not full licensing. It is worthwhile visiting the Environment Agency website to check the current situation.

How much money an I likely to save having my own borehole?

If you use high volumes of water there are large savings to be made. Typically a cubic metre of water from a public supply costs 77p. A million gallons is approximately £3500.
A commercial user would pay £32.50 to the Environment Agency for a similar quantity, plus the cost of electricity used in pumping.

Typically, savings of 80% are possible.

Residential users normally have no fees to pay for abstraction. Coupled with our water treatment packages it is usual for all work and associated equipment to save the customer enough money in two years to pay for the work to be undertaken.

Borehole prognosis explained.

Before drilling it is important to investigate the expected geology and groundwater regime at the site. As part of our drilling package, we are able to prepare a borehole prognosis report related to the National Grid Reference of the site based on information available from the BGS borehole data base. If these reports are favorable in terms of quality and quantity then Industrial Water Equipment will provide a detailed written quotation for drilling the water well.

The report will be based on an interpretation of geological maps and the compilation of data relating to other boreholes in your area. The report will normally cost around £400. Industrial Water Equipment offers a full pre sales service which includes the production of a borehole prognosis. We can also provide a written quotation for drilling the borehole. It should be noted that there can be no guarantee that the driller will find water of sufficient yield and quality.

How long will it take from prognosis to completing the borehole?

A prognosis established by a hydro geological survey, can normally be arranged within two weeks.
With this, we produce an estimate, and this takes 1-2 days.
On-site work can span 10-15 days: drilling is 3 or 4 days, and then pipe work and cables need to be installed, the submersible pump placed in the borehole and tested, pumping to clear the supply. Water is then analyzed at our labs verify purity. This is likely to take two to three weeks in all.
The good news is that, as we have a complete service in-house, we will handle your entire project.

Does having a septic tank contribute to a contamination risk?

Septic tanks, silage, and run-off from buildings can all be possible causes of contamination to a borehole supply.
By careful siting of the borehole, and if possible drilling up gradient from any hazard, we eliminate most problems. The rest comes down to how the borehole is constructed and sealed.

How much waste is produced by drilling a borehole?

In drilling a borehole, waste material removed has to find its way to the surface. In most situations we initially drill ‘dry’, and this produces dust. When water is found, slurry emerges from the hole. We work carefully, and do our very best to minimize mess. In sensitive sites we can use our re-circulation equipment to separate the particles from the fluids. However drilling a borehole does mean that there is going to be mud around.

Will my borehole need a pump and do you supply them?

Usually, yes. An ‘submersible’ electrically operated pump is located at the bottom of the borehole to bring water to the surface. Industrial Water Equipment supply, stock and service all our own pumps.

How reliable is a submersible pump?

We only install high-specification equipment. Using either lowara or grundfos ensuring that spares are readily available to our customers.

Manufacturers state that the pump has a 10-year design life, and they are very reliable. But a number of operational factors have an influence, for example low mains voltage, or ‘aggressive’ water, which is exceptionally acid or alkaline, can have an impact on this.

How deep would I expect my borehole to be?

The average range is 20-70 metres, although we do sometimes drill to 400 metres or more if required.

What size is the borehole?

We drill holes between 100 and 1500mm diameter.
A normal domestic borehole will be drilled at 200mm diameter.
This meets best practice industry standards.
The installation is carefully sealed from ground level into rock-head so as to ensure that surface pollutants and contaminants cannot enter the well.

How long could I expect my borehole to last?

A new borehole, installed to Industrial Water Equipments high standard, and with modern materials such as PVC and stainless steel should last a lifetime. Difficulties can arise particularly with old ones, where the use of steel pipe work often causes corrosion difficulties. And where mild steel is used there can be encrustation and premature failure. Careful design eliminates many problems at source. For example, the hallmark of a good borehole is that the velocity of water entering through the screen travels as slowly as possible. The problem being addressed is that water that is moving rapidly is likely to drag in sediment and debris, which can cause the migration of silts and sand and again this can result in premature pump failure.

Can Industrial Water Equipment guarantee water quality?

Yes , we are more than happy to guarantee any specification of water quality required by all our customers.

Do you find water by dowsing?

We have no views or theories on how dowsing works. But a scientific approach to finding water is essential, and a hydro geological survey is an essential first step.

What is the first step?

A hydro geologist’s survey, or borehole prognosis, costs £345 + VAT, and provides an indication of the underlying geology—showing the nature of the ground to be drilled, and the likely depth at which water will be found.

Our estimate is based on this prognosis and this complies with best practice as advised by the Well Drillers Association.

Is treatment necessary?

If water from the borehole is going to be used for potable applications water treatment is almost always required. Drinking water quality is always assessed by a laboratory analysis at industrial water equipments labs after the well is drilled. We would always recommend this. In many cases the water will require no treatment.
if there is any evidence of bacterial contamination, an ultraviolet (UV) sterilisation unit and pre-filter is installed. This uses UV light to kill the bacteria, and make the water safe. Unlike chemical purification methods, this does not taint the water. please see our uv link. If the water is turbid—muddy or cloudy with suspended particles—in-line filters will remove the problem to provide you with good clear water.Please see our filtration link However, in any situation where the general public is likely to drink water from your supply, we suggest that you install UV sterilization: What are the differences between borehole water and mains water? As far as the water supply itself is concerned, well water is pumped from the borehole at a constant pressure; typically 2-4 bars the same as mains pressure. There is no requirement for storage tanks which also reduces bacterial growth. The pump supplies water with a pressure sensor switching on the pump when you turn on a tap and a pressure-operated switch cuts off its electricity when it is not working, to ensure economic running.

Industrial Water Equipment run pipe work to your building just as a rising mains supply would be connected.

What happens if I have both mains and borehole water?

Interconnection with existing mains water supplies_
Water supply regulations dictate that there must be protection against backflow into a mains water system. This can be achieved by the following options. 1) Complete and permanent separation of the mains water supply from the private water supply with no means of interconnection and with both supplies being clearly labeled2) Total permanent disconnection from the mains water supply
3) An air gap system complying with Section 6 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999
1 should be of no cost plus there will be an annual saving as there is no standing charge payable to the water company. You will need to check on sewage charges if connected to the mains sewer.
2 will incur ongoing standing charges to the mains water company for the water meter plus the cost of any water used. Costs for plumbing alterations can only be determined upon a full survey.
3 is likely to cost in the region of £1,000.00 for a domestic system plus the cost of installation. This option will also incur ongoing standing charges.

Industrial Water Equipment Ltd
4 Causeway Lane, Matlock
Derbyshire, DE4 3AR
TEL: +44 (0)1629 55839
FAX: +44 (0)1629 501055

2nd Floor, 13 Upper Baggot Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
TEL: + 00 353 14428670

info@industrialwaterequipment.co.uk

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