The advantages of a well in the garden
You may want to spray your flower or vegetable garden properly but have no water available from external sources, such as a canal, a pond, or a ditch. In this case, you may want to consider installing a well. However, this can only be done if the intended area is suitable and has the appropriate features.
Long-term savings through a well
Drilling a well comes with financial costs, but when you start using free natural water, you will save considerably on your water bills in the long term. Furthermore, natural water contains nutrients and minerals that are beneficial for your plants.
On this page, you will find a list of all the borehole pumps that can be installed in a well.
Recycling groundwater or rainwater
There are many good reasons for using rainwater or natural water instead of clean tap water for certain purposes.
It is good for the environment;
Clean tap water will be saved;
Better nutrients for your plants;
Less risk of flooding;
Lower water bills;
Indoor applications last longer (no limescale) if groundwater is used in the house;
And many other reasons…
Natural water can be recycled to:
flush a toilet;
spray the garden;
supply a washing machine (collected rainwater);
clean;
supply a high-pressure sprayer;
fill or top up natural ponds or swimming ponds.
Permits for installing a well
First you need to familiarise yourself with all the laws and regulations, including permits for drilling in the ground and creating wells. Installing a well illegally is dangerous and is never an option.
It is advisable to contact a specialised company familiar with all the ins and outs of the applicable laws and regulations.
How to decide where to install a well
Soil is made up of various layers. To drill a well, it is important to know where the groundwater is situated and what other factors need to be taken into account. Specialised companies have equipment to measure the exact drilling location for sufficient groundwater. Of course, we recommend seeking advice from experts to avoid the risk of drilling in the wrong place.
Types of wells
Once you have determined the location of the well, you need to decide what type of well can be created. There are two main types.
Water well
A water well in your garden provides easy access to groundwater and surface water. If a groundwater well has a reasonably large diameter, a submersible well pump is a suitable device for pumping water and is set up in the water source. Some models switch on and of automatically and only pump water on the basis of demand: for example, when you turn on a tap or switch on a spray gun. They stop automatically when you release the handle of the spray gun or turn the tap off. If you do not require an automatic function, a standard well pump will be sufficient.
If the groundwater is not situated at a depth greater than eight metres, you can also use a non-automatic or an automatic garden pump or pressure pump, each of which is set up next to the well on the surface and operates from there.
Borehole
A borehole is another type of groundwater well, and consists of a long, narrow pipe that is drilled into the soil until it reaches the groundwater or spring water. If you want to install the pump in the water, we recommend opting for a borehole pump. This is a long, narrow pump that can transfer water under high pressure to the desired location. Standard borehole pumps do not run automatically but this can be achieved by adding a pump controller.
The cost of creating a water well
The cost of drilling a well depends on the water level of the groundwater to be pumped. In the north of the UK, the water is only one or a few metres deep. In the south, groundwater can be as much as 100 metres deep in some places. The deeper the well has to be drilled, the higher the cost will be. The average total cost of drilling a well 60 metres deep will be around £14,000.
In addition, you will need a pump to lift the water from the well to the surface. Depending on the pump you want to use, the following prices apply:
a self priming pump will be £ 100 to £ 500
a submersible well pump will be £ 289 to £ 550;
a borehole pump will be £ 300 to £1,400.
However, the cost of the pump’s energy consumption and any permit costs also need to be taken into account. In most cases, you only need to inform your local authority, but if you intend to use groundwater for agricultural purposes, extra costs to be paid to the Water Board and/or your municipality need to be taken into consideration.
If you need advice about which borehole pump will work best in your situation, please refer to the choice guide at the top of this page or contact our customer service.