blowin
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getting a well / bore-hole dug. Warning - this is long !I see on another thread that someone was able to get a quote of 1300 euro to have a well dug in Wexford but it hasn't been that straightforward up here . A bit of a nightmare , in fact , when it comes to the budget .
The Council were quick enough to approve a grant once they had satisfied themselves that they couldn't get sufficient water pressure up to me . That was around 2000 euro and would be paid when I got drinkable water out of the ground . Seemed pretty good . 
First problem was to persuade anyone to actually come out , let alone get a couple of competitive quotes . Those guys must be really busy or , more likely , have already made enough to retire on !
I had to accept the only quote, which was 18 euro per foot . For that the hole would be steel-lined down as far as the bedrock . The depth of the hole and the bedrock were anybody's guess until the job had been completed .
Then there's the question of where you put this hole  .
I know that there are regs such as minimum distance from cesspit but these weren't mentioned . In fairness to the contractor this could have been because he had already judged the distance but best to inform yourself , methinks .
The first bloke who said where the well should be had identified the spot by divining it with a bent coat-hanger . To me the location was chosen because it happened to be the only place on our property where he could get his drilling-rig onto firm ground . I thought he was taking the p*ss and he didn't get the job . I subsequently learned that divining is commonly accepted practice , particularly if you want to find good rather than just any old water . .
The guy who actually did the job says he used to recommended divining but doesn't do so anymore . His main reason was that it was always him to blame if they didn't strike good water . Everyone would say he drilled 6" too far to the right or something . So , I am open-minded but wouldn't pay the suggested 350 euro to find out .
Then there's the question of who pays if you don't find water and have to drill another hole . The only answer I managed to get was " Ah , don't be asking that . Nobody pays " . So I left it at that .
The drill hit solid rock at 10 ft deep and everything was looking good until this turned out to be a huge boulder with mud beneath and the bedrock was some way below that . The outcome was a hole 140 ft deep , steel-lined down thru the boulder , and plastic lined all the way . At this point you have no option other than to go for whatever extras the expert recommends . I am sure he was right but of course it all adds to the cost . ( I paid by cheque but the nice man actually came back with some "luck money" in the form of cash and baccy . How many would do that in the uk , I wonder ) .
Now to get the water out of the hole -- A submersible pump , strong rope , electrical cable , water pipe and pressure chamber . Way over budget but finally sorted . Water is crystal clear , no smell , so can I have my grant now , please .
Just need an Environmental Health Dept water test for bio-chem contamination and 75 euro up-front . That is an expensive way of finding out that the lovely water you have already been drinking doesn't meet the req'd EU standards . So no grant will be paid until it does .
There are high bacterial and mineral counts so now I have to put in whatever is necessary to sort that out . I will open a separate thread . Meanwhile I think I will go back to drinking whisky . It has got to be both safer and cheaper than this water .
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