Can I drill a well?

Lumen

Asking for a friend.

If I lived in a house in the surburbs of a city, and that house had a mains water supply, but I knew that there was good groundwater source because a nearby facility had a well, would I be allowed to tap that same source (aquifer or whatever it's called) by drilling a well in my garden?

Just for gardening use, car washing etc.

Would I need planning for such a thing?

rayjdav

No, under Class 44 of the regs it is exempt for domestic purpose. Does not stipulate in the text that it is only for rural.....

CLASS 44
The sinking of a well, drilling of a borehole, erection of a pump, or construction of a pumphouse, for the purpose of providing a domestic water supply, or a group water supply scheme in accordance with a plan or proposal approved by the Minister or a local authority for the purpose of making a grant towards the cost of such works

Lumen

Thanks rayjdav!

sydthebeat

rayjdav wrote: »

No, under Class 44 of the regs it is exempt for domestic purpose. Does not stipulate in the text that it is only for rural.....

CLASS 44
The sinking of a well, drilling of a borehole, erection of a pump, or construction of a pumphouse, for the purpose of providing a domestic water supply, or a group water supply scheme in accordance with a plan or proposal approved by the Minister or a local authority for the purpose of making a grant towards the cost of such works

i think the bolded part here is very pertinent.

it basically allows the local authority to bore wells to provide a water source.... it does not automatically allow a private individual the right to do the same without planning permission.

im not saying that the provision of a bored well requires permission, im just saying that that particular section of the exempted regs does not automatically provide exemption for the drilling of a well.

you may find that, in the case where a public main connection is possible, that the drilling of a well may not be considered exempt.

apply for a section 5 declaration

rayjdav

I'd be of the view, considering the way it is worded, the group water scheme is an additional exemption if that alone is part of a scheme but a stand alone domestic well is exempt..

"...providing a domestic, or a water supply a group water supply scheme in ..."

Lumen

rayjdav's interpretation makes sense to me.

However, taking this part alone....

The sinking of a well, drilling of a borehole, erection of a pump, or construction of a pumphouse, for the purpose of providing a domestic water supply

...seems to hinge on what "a domestic water supply" means. If the property has a mains supply already, then is a well drilling permitted?

Does "a domestic water supply" mean "the supply to a domestic property" or "a supply to the domestic property"?

The suburban autarky collective is curious.

rayjdav

I have seen conditions attached that say if a mains supply does exist it must be connected to, regardless. You have then paid for the connection so why then bore your own? It's not a cheap process...

Lumen

We have hosepipe bans almost every year now.

For people with large gardens and who want to respect the ban this is quite limiting.

Is it much cheaper if you don't need to drink the water?

maestroamado

I expect it be tricky as the impact it have on the neighbours while drilling is taking place would be difficult to explain abay bt saying you need to water the garden in one of the wettest countries in Europe.
It would be a lot easier to dig a big hole and divert the roof water into and buy a little pump for same .
Just put a concrete roof on and put clay over and just have water stored under garden.
I have all the roof water going separate to one place and could do this if i decided.

Del2005

Lumen wrote: »

We have hosepipe bans almost every year now.

For people with large gardens and who want to respect the ban this is quite limiting.

Is it much cheaper if you don't need to drink the water?

The ban is on the use of hoses not on the source of the water, you can still water your large lawn with a bucket or watering can if you want during a hose pipe ban.

Water from the mains is nearly free so how can spending several thousand Euro to drill, line and maintain a well be cheaper than mains water?

Lumen

Del2005 wrote: »

The ban is on the use of hoses not on the source of the water, you can still water your large lawn with a bucket or watering can if you want during a hose pipe ban.

Water from the mains is nearly free so how can spending several thousand Euro to drill, line and maintain a well be cheaper than mains water?

I'm not saying it's economically rational, but then neither is growing your own vegetables and lots of people do it. There's joy to be had in the feeling of self-reliance.

w.r.t. watering when there's a hosepipe ban, it's not practical to water a large garden by hand. It would take at least an hour a day. When I was regrowing my garden after a clearance I had mains irrigation going at full flow for an hour in the morning and again in the evening, every other day.

Water collection doesn't work during a dry spell either, you'd run out in the first week.

So, what are we talking then, 5k? 10K?

maestroamado

It be difficult to collect water in dry spell alright.
I think the idea is collect and store when it rains...

Nekarsulm

Price depends on how deep you have to go to get a supply.
We had a well drilled about 12 years ago, and it cost about €3500 for 220 foot deep.
Decent submersible pump, add €800, plus pressure vessel, control switches, piping and cable down the well, cable from house to the well, and build some kind of pump house to protect the whole lot from rain etc. Say another €1000.
Can you get a truck into your garden to the proposed drill point?
A truck the size (or bigger) than a ready-mix lorry?
And a day of deafening noise for the neighbours, plus a bit of sludge run-off from the boring process.

Del2005

maestroamado wrote: »

It be difficult to collect water in dry spell alright.
I think the idea is collect and store when it rains...

You still have the problem that you can't use a hose with your stored water, it's a hose pipe ban not a ban on using mains water. A lawn will recover quickly after a drought so leave it and when it rains again it'll be grand.

sydthebeat

Del2005 wrote: »

You still have the problem that you can't use a hose with your stored water, it's a hose pipe ban not a ban on using mains water. A lawn will recover quickly after a drought so leave it and when it rains again it'll be grand.

Incorrect.

The "hose pipe ban" only applies to water supplied by Irish water.

https://www.water.ie/news/nationwide-water-conserva/Scanned-Document.pdf

Metric Tensor

OP - if you are in a built up area expect every neighbour in a mile radius to come to see what the big drilling rig is doing thundering away in your back lawn. There will almost certainly be someone who causes you some sort of hassle.

Drilling a well is NOT a discrete operation!

Lumen

For the avoidance of doubt, I really am asking for a suburban friend.

I'm far enough into the country that nobody would care. :pac:

JameGrooms

Drilling a well in your garden is totally possible, but you need to be aware that it's a complex process with a lot of different considerations. It's a great idea to seek advice from a professional drilling company or expert, who can help you determine your exact needs, the best location for the well, and the necessary permits.

chooseusername

Deleted, old thread.

Ubbquittious

At least 6000 to drill a well

This was before prices went bezerk so probably 9000 now

RoyRitar

Sounds good

Dirtymortaines

Drilling a well in your garden is totally possible, but you need to be aware that it's a complex process with a lot of different considerations. It's a great idea to seek advice from a professional drilling company or expert, who can help you determine your exact needs, the best location for the well, and the necessary permits. Also, it's critical to contact a reliable company for api 8c electrical equipment inspection services before embarking on such a complex process. You should also research the laws in your area, as they could be different from one place to another. Depending on where you live, you may need to apply for a permit or even have an inspection to make sure you're following the local rules.