Well vs Mains Water

hexosan

What are the pros and cons to your own well vs mains water from the council.

Approx what's the cost of sinking and maintaining a well, interested in hearing people's thoughts.

Rabbo

Typical capital cost for installing well, pump, pipe work, etc is €5000. Typical Irish Water connection charge is almost the same from what I've seen.To be honest, it's a no brainier to connect to the mains if you have one available. If you have a well, it's your responsibility to maintain the quality of supply. If you have problems, you will have to rectify them. What if a neighbour installs a septic tank uphill of you or if there is a groundwater pollution problem? Like them or loath them but as a paying customer of Irish Water, they will have a legal obligation to supply your house with clean water. The typical Irish Water supply costs are currently about €125/annum. I bet you it would cost more to maintain and run a domestic well.The costs associated with a well don't stop after its bored.

cork2

Find out the total cost of the water main before you make a decision. Going on the incompetence of the city council in Cork that I've seen really if I had the option I'd sink a well.
The rules in Cork city now state that (not sure if it applies nationwide) you must cut and replace a 10m long stretch of road by half the width of the road as long as you don't cross the centre point with you trench. If you dig past the centre point you must replace 10m the whole width of the road and the council will specify what type of tar this will take. Bear in mind the cost of taring a road is frightening, plus the cost of the local authority fees, plus the cost of traffic management, plus the contractor to dig the hole and back fill it.
In my two most recent road crossings the council failed numerous times to locate the mains pipes in the road. The most recent one they gave us a drawing of the services, the pipe wasn't there and the local authority engineer who came out on site got us to dig a trench 17 feet long and 11 feet deep looking for the pipe which was not found. The job in currently at a total standstill for the last month as out client are now engaging in legal action due to the fact they spent scary money on a contractor to dig a trench through their garden for a water pipe which is in place, they have the local authority fees paid and can't get a refund and they still don't have their mains water and won't anytime soon.

The second one was a similar run in. we dug the road where instructed and found no pipe as they thought it was on one side of the road and infact it was on the opposite side, doubling the digging, backfilling and tarring. It also voided both the traffic management plan and permission from the traffic corps to dig the road as the situation changed and we had to start from scratch with paper work and delay the tapping. By the time this house had water the cost had more than doubled.

Now I'm not saying any of these things will happen the OP, we've done many successful road crossings aswell. I'm saying in my professional experience the less dealing with local authorities and the more dealings with private professional companies such as those who drill wells the better off you'll be. Each to their own but this is my personal opinion, private well all the way!!

delfagio

Although Irish Water when they do start to charge per the meter instead of the flat rate will see average costs of water per year roughly around 400-600 euro per year, and then double that if you have a waste connection to the county council sewer mains.

I have spoken to a lot of people about well costs and the do vary between 3500-7000 euro, depending on depth that needs to be drilled, pump sizes, distance from house for pipe runs, treatment required etc.

Water connection to local council mains could be typically 1500-2000euro and then if a road opening license is required to dig on the road or footpath then there is a cost for that also which can vary depending on county council roads departments.

I'd go for a well if it was possible and in your budget, but it also means having to treat, maintain the pumps and supply and testing of the water quality etc.

Oh decisions decisions :-)

delfagio

I'd agree with Cork2 in that.

I work in this area and 6-7 Times out of 10 the water mains are not exactly where the council drawings show them, this as Cork2 says can have a massive change on the cost for supply of water. It might only be 0.5m out of place, but that can be the difference between just digging a footpath or now having to dig in the road. Which means TM, reinstatement, etc.

Regarding the reinstatement of the road Cork2, the large reinstatement patches of 10m may more than likely be due to how long ago the road was last reinstated. Usually if a road has been resurfaced within the last 5years larger reinstatement patches are required as there is a moratorium on it.

galwaytt

I have a well since 1997 and when the group scheme came 15 years ago, joined that, so now have both.

I'd put in a well everytime.

sydthebeat

Rabbo wrote: »

the typical Irish Water supply costs are currently about €125/annum.

Due to government subvetion, allowances and imposed flat rates.

The actual usage rates of a typical 5 person semi-d is approx €800 per annum when these are removed...
Irish water is designed as an independent private utility company off government balance sheets. It's not hard to see the political argument which will erode the above allowances and subventions.