A water borehole in the UK can be a positive investment for many reasons. Let’s look at what factors affect the cost of a water borehole so you can weigh up the pros and cons of your decision.
In this guide, we’ll offer insights into what we take into account when calculating a cost, and offer a rough estimate of what to expect.
Here’s what we’ll cover or you can skip ahead to:
Factors that affect the cost of drilling a water borehole
Calculating the cost of water borehole depends on a few different considerations:
- The type of soil and rock (geology) where you live
- The depth we need to drill
- The type of equipment and technique we use
- Borehole location, pipework, pumps and filters
The geology where you live
When we work out the cost of drilling and installing a water borehole, the geology or type of ground conditions has a major influence on the final cost.
For a small island ground conditions in the UK can be quite different from region to region. For example drilling in the London area can be trickier due to ‘London Clay’. This is a heavy extremely thick clay that sits on top of a layer of sand, and then chalk that holds fragments of different sized flint particles. This makes the drilling technique quite a challenge, so much so some drillers won’t even undertake these conditions and may tell you it’s not possible.
Depth we need to drill
Since drillers charge per meter the depth is another major consideration when we work out your water borehole’s cost. Again the geology has a major bearing on this, as we will always drill down to the aquifer; a porous rock that holds the most stable supply of water.
On average in the UK many water boreholes are around 60m-80m, although sometimes this can be more or less. Some water well drilling companies only drill down to the water table, which does cost less and means they often won’t need to drill the clay layer. However, the water table can be subject to surface weather fluctuations, that can affect your water supply.
Drilling technique and equipment
Consequently, the drilling technique and equipment we use can be quite different from another part of the UK. A borehole also needs to be stabilised with casing to prevent it falling in on itself, it’s then lined and sealed and keep contaminants out of the water. So the amount of specialist materials we need to use will vary from project to project.
Borehole location
The location of your water borehole can affect your final price: Site accessibility is key, although we can get our drilling rigs into all sorts of unusual locations, again time is a factor that influences the overall cost of a water borehole. Additionally, the distance your borehole is positioned in relation to your home can affect the amount pipework we need to use. Finally, of course we also need to factor in the size of the pump and any other equipment we require to create a fully functioning water borehole that fits your needs.
Water borehole cost: A rough estimate
Finally, as a rough estimate for your water borehole cost you could expect to pay around £23,000 for your borehole drilling, installation and extras – that’s everything fitted with hot and cold water running to your home. But we would always advise you get in touch for an accurate quote.