What to do if your well or borehole dries up?

Drying out of water sources is an increasingly common problem, concerning up to 80% of well owners. Although the solution is not quite simple, you should not put it off. Droughts are worsening every year and hydrogeologists and well drillers are already very busy.

Climate change and its impact on water sources

Europe has been suffering from droughts caused by climate change for the last few years. The average annual temperature is rising and the rainy seasons are shortening. Instead of permanent rain, which supplies groundwater, torrential rains are becoming more frequent. Water from torrential rains, however, largely drains from the landscape, as the soil does not have time to soak it up. Moreover, the forecasts of hydrogeologists are not at all favorable - droughts are expected to increase.

Drought is associated not only with the drying of streams and dams, but also wells and water boreholes. At the same time, almost a tenth of domestic households and countless cottages and recreational objects depend on their own water source. And up to 80% of them have experienced a sudden decrease in this fluid in recent years.

Does this problem affect you too? Find out the cause of drying and find a solution as soon as possible to avoid complete disappearing of water in your well.

Find out the cause of drying up of your well

Due to the lack of rain, shallower dug wells in particular dry out, where the amount of water depends on the amount of precipitation. Therefore, the excavation of new dug wells is no longer recommended today. However, drying of deep wells are no exception, as groundwater levels are also falling and many springs are being lost. Today's borehole should be at least 30 meters deep, while shallower boreholes can dry faster.

So if you are considering getting a new borehole, focus on sufficient depth, and on also the width of it. However, drought is not the only reason for well drying out. If your existing water source dries out, clogging of the inflow may also be the reason. Therefore, find out the exact cause and clean the well or borehole if necessary.

However, if the problem is really drought, all you have to do is deepen the well or drill a new one. It is a relatively long and complicated process and you can wait a year for the deepening itself. The reason is the need to obtain all necessary permits and business of well drillers.

Learn to save water.

Process and cost of an existing well deepening

By law, you must not deepen wells or boreholes by yourself. Therefore, entrust the work to an authorized company. But don't delay. Due to high demand, companies are very busy and you can wait up to a year for the works to be done. If you already observe a significant drop in water levels, do not wait until it igets completely dry and seek professional help immediately.

The deepening of a dug well costs are various per country, so check your local suppliers, but if your dug well dries out, a new borehole should be considered, as the dug well can dry out again in a few years.

For drilled wells, expect about a tenth of the cost per meter on average, but you may need to deepen often by up to 20 meters. The price is therefore very individual, and in addition to the depth of the well, it also depends on the type of subsoil and other parameters, such as the diameter of the well, the accessibility of land for heavy machinery, etc.

Part of this process should be cleaning of the well and other works, such as dismantling and re-installation of pumping equipment, which further increase the price. However, it is not worth saving on these works. Poor deepening of the borehole could soon lead to the need for further costly interventions.

Borehole cleaning pump.

When is it better to make a new well?

Since the deepening of wells and boreholes is administratively, technologically and financially very demanding, it is often better to make a new borehole. We recommend this procedure especially in the following situations:

make a entirely new well in case the spring diverted. This occurs most often due to long-term clogging of the spring inflow into the well. The spring can thus find an "easier" way and deviate from the location of your well.
if hydrogeologist finds that the spring is very weak, a place with a richer source on your land can be found. Even in this case, do not hesitate and choose the path of the new well.
if you have a dug well, it is very likely that its deepening will have only a temporary effect. Even in this case, investing in a new well will pay off in the long run. Some companies offer the so-called deepening of a dug well by drilling, but this is often technologically impossible, or the well can be deepened by a maximum of 10 meters and the result is usually of very poor quality - in addition to almost the same cost as a new well.

In conclusion, it is important to emphasize that the problem of water shortage must be addressed comprehensively and in the long term. Therefore, learn how to save water and look at subsidies for the use of rainwater in your country - you may be eligible. Equip the borehole with a level monitoring system that will prevent damage to the pump and appliances in the event of a water shortage.