With water charges rising by 30 per cent, it’s not a time for smallholders and growers to bury their heads in the sand – but perhaps it is time to start digging down to bedrock

Already sinking in a rising tide of utility charges, householders are now facing a 30 per cent hike in their water costs. For people whose farms, smallholdings or businesses depend on an affordable water supply, it’s a hike too far.

And it’s not just cost. Many people dread the hosepipe bans and interrupted supplies that even a short spell of dry weather can bring. Many are worried about the impact on health of water additives such as fluoride and chlorine.

More and more people are opting for the alternative – a private supply from a borehole drilled deep into the clear waters of the rock strata under their land or gardens.

Robert Simpson is the owner of Chicory Crops Ltd, a leading supplier of soft fruit and apples to major supermarkets such as Marks and Spencer and Waitrose.

His 45 acres of raspberries, 40 acres of apples and 14 acres of cherries needed a large scale irrigation system, especially in the hot months, so he decided on three independent boreholes to complete the task.

“In the summer months, each borehole pumps approximately 20 cubic metres an hour, each one running for eight to nine hours a day. To pay mains rates on this amount of water – well, you just couldn’t do it. And nor would a mains supply be able to deliver that much water.”

Robert Simpson employs more than 130 people, and his whole operation is run to a very high standard, delivering quality fruit. He simply couldn’t afford to cut corners.

Work begins with a hydrogeological report – or prognosis – which costs around £200. This survey gives an indication of the underlying geology, whether water is likely to be found and at what depth.

Boreholes used for commercial reasons need special permissions that can take between six to nine months to organise. So, it’s wise to start the process now, well ahead of the summer months.

“Once the permissions are there, on-site work can last 10 to 15 days. Drilling typically takes three or four days, and then pipework and cables need to be installed,” says Brian Morgan of water well drillers WB+AD Morgan, “The submersible pump is placed in the borehole and tested and, finally, water is sent to the laboratory to check its purity.”

So was Robert happy with his decision?

“An important aspect of our irrigation system is to maintain an equal pressure of water throughout the crops,” he says. “The pressure of water provided by the pumps in the boreholes is far greater than what could be achieved from a mains supply.”

And maintenance? “Apart from checking the paper and UV filters now and again, the borehole simply sits there and does its job,” says Brian Morgan.

Pros

• Most bottled water brands come from boreholes
• Boreholes can cut water costs by up to 80 per cent. A cubic metre of water from a public supply can cost up to £1 in some areas. A million gallons costs about £4,500. The cost of borehole water is around 2p to 3p a cubic metre
• Finance options are available for boreholes and – even with interest payments over five years, say – the cost can still be lower than buying public water
• Once you’ve paid for the borehole and pump system, your only cost is electricity to run the pump. There’s no water meter and no water bills
• In many cases, borehole water doesn’t need any treatment. If there is any contamination, an ultraviolet (UV) sterilisation unit and pre-filter are installed. Unlike chemical purification, they don’t taint the water
• A new borehole, installed to a high standard, and with modern materials such as PVC and stainless steel should last a lifetime
• Under new Water Bill legislation, users who take under 20 cubic metres of water a day – 20 tonnes of water – don’t need a licence to abstract

 

Cons

• Commercial installations start at around £8,000, but users tend to recoup this within a couple of years or even months
• Commercial users who need a large quantity of water will usually need a licence to abstract
• The quality of the water is your responsibility. You’ll have to check its purity and have filters installed if necessary

How your borehole is drilled is just as important as where it’s drilled. Construction itself, if not carried out properly, can pollute the underground store of water – the aquifer.

After drilling to the required depth, the borehole is lined with a well screen and casing, usually made of thermo-plastic, or stainless steel. Special screens are precision cut to allow the water through at the right pressure to avoid sediment being drawn in along with it.

The area around the screen – the annulus – is then packed with an inert silica gravel or sand to act as a filter. Towards the top of the borehole, resting on the silica, a grouted seal closes the drill hole to the pipe. This extends the full length of the ‘overburden’—loosely described as soil or broken ground—down into the impermeable layer. Its purpose is to keep any polluted surface water out of the borehole.

When the grout is cured, a sealed chamber is installed to house the well head and valves.

Finally, a reliable stainless steel submersible pump, powered by electricity, solar power or wind, is lowered into the borehole. This brings water to the surface under pressure.