WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE UK’s No.1 WATER WELL DRILLING COMPANY

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HOSE BAN?As Drilltalk goes to press hose pipe bans are

being announced in various parts of the UK—reservoirs are running low due to poor

rainfall and high summertime demand.

For this reason, many people are installing a private water supply, as boreholes are

not subject to water company restrictions. Beyond better security, the cost of water is around one-fi fth of the price of mains

water. Time to act?

WHAT PRICEPEACE OF MIND?

THE BEAUTY OF MOST BOREHOLES—at least, the

ones that we install—is that they are mostly ‘fit and

forget’, and hence are usually taken for granted.

That is, unless something goes wrong.Submersible pumps are electrically driven mechanical

devices, so can eventually grumble after long service.

Also standards continue to improve in terms of pump

technology, thermal insulation, fi ltration, and electrical

safety.

This is where preventive maintenance and upgrades

can help.

Here are just some of the things to consider in order

to keep things running problem-free and supplying the

highest quality water.

GO WITH THE FLOWPump function needs to be checked. The top end of the

Grundfos submersible pump range allows the pump to be

electronically interrogated, providing information such as

the number of pump starts, energy consumed, volumes

delivered, and running current. For anyone who needs to

check pump function remotely, perhaps someone with

a second home, or who is the landlord, there is even a

modem option—an upgrade worth considering.

UP TO THE MARKNowadays we recommend that all boreholes supplying

drinking water are fi tted with a UV sterilizer—a special

ultraviolet light that kills any water-borne bugs. To

maintain full function, lamps need replacing every year,

as their intensity degrades with use. Also, the clear quartz

tube that keeps the lamp separated from the water needs

to be kept clean, as it is likely to pick up deposits from

water which will interfere with the light.

A fi lter should be fi tted in the pipe ahead of the UV

unit to remove any suspended solids within the water.

Sometimes additional fi lters may be installed to deal with

other specifi c problems that a water analysis may reveal,

perhaps water hardness or excessive nitrate content.

SHOCKING RESULTSToday’s regulations require that all outdoor installations are individually

protected against the risk of electrical shock by using RCD protection,

which shuts the system down if there is a leak to earth. Again, better

safe than sorry, and bringing your installation fully up to today’s safety

standard is a fairly minor job—our electrical division will advise.

FROSTY RECEPTIONNot only did the big freeze at the start of this year cause Eurostar’s

trains to break down in the Channel Tunnel, but the extreme condi-

tions also managed to catch some borehole users out too. Frozen

solid? No water.

In normal winter conditions the latent heat from the water below,

10-12°c, is enough to keep the pipe work from freezing. But the

exceptionally cold weather experienced last winter did give rise

to freezing—although this is the fi rst time in 25 years that this has

been a problem.

If you take a pessimistic view of future weather, the wellhead

chamber can be protected with insulation.

Pipework at risk can be guarded using trace heating—a

low-wattage electrical heating tape that is in direct contact with

pipework underneath its insulation, and switched on by a thermo-

stat in chilly conditions.

Similarly it may be worth installing a thermostatically controlled

heater in the pump house.

And if you have this protection already fi tted, it should be

checked before winter to ensure that it is working properly: fuses,

circuit breakers and thermostats can fail, and you don’t want to fi nd

this out thanks to everything freezing solid.

NO WORRIES…WB&AD Morgan will be happy to arrange an inspection of your instal-

lation and advise you if it meets today’s standards, and whether any

work is needed. The cost of this survey is low.

And beyond any upgrades we may recommend, think about taking

out an annual service contract: Tailored to your requirements, it gives

ongoing peace of mind to ensure that things can continue to run

sweetly.

Call 01544 267980 now to discuss how we can keep your water

fl owing dependably and safely.

ACIDATTACKOVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES is part of the job that

adds interest to our lives. One particular challenge

we encountered recently was after drilling a

borehole to supply a food processing plant.

A large, 750mm hole was drilled* to a depth of 80

metres, to create an artesian well. These deliver water

without any need for pumping due to the pressure of

water underground.

Initial tests on the new borehole showed that the

water fl ow was inadequate for the purpose required.

The answer? The wellhead was sealed, and two

tonnes of hydrochloric acid were pumped down it.

The eff ect was to open up underground fi ssures by

dissolving the limestone that was restricting access to

the water.

Any remnants of acid were neutralised by the

limestone, so the water quality in the aquifer was not

threatened with contamination.

A result: Now the borehole is delivering a healthy

160,000 litres per hour.

* The borehole was drilled with our Knebel rig. This big beast is capable of creating a hole of 1 metre diameter to a depth of 300 metres.

WB&AD MORGAN has been awarded

certifi cation under the Achilles

Verify programme following an

independent assessment of safety,

health, environmental and quality

procedures by leading supplier

management services.

This is widely regarded by as the gold

standard for contracting companies,

and is accepted by most utilities companies as an

important pre-qualifi cation for bids.

Says managing director Brian Morgan: ‘We have always

placed high emphasis on quality, and it is gratifying to

have this recognized.’

■ Complete turnkey water schemes

■ Electrical installation of equipment

■ Ground source heating installations

■ Hydrogeological surveys

■ Test and environmental monitoring boreholes

■ Pump and equipment sales

■ Irrigation schemes

■ Laboratory water testing

■ Maintenance contracts for trouble-free supplies

■ Pipework and valves

■ Water fi ltration and treatment facilities

■ Water well drilling for homes, farms and industry

■ Memberships and approvals: Achilles, NICEIC, Well Drillers’ Association

WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Water resource services

WB+AD Morgan Limited · Presteigne Industrial Estate · Presteigne · Powys LD8 2UFPhone 01544 267980 · Fax 01544 267981

info@fi ndingwater.co.uk · www.fi ndingwater.co.uk

Editorial production for Drilltalk, the newsletter of WB&AD Morgan Limited, is by Brandpoint Limited.

Editor: Alan Thornton, 01743 885200, alan.thornton@brandpoint.co.uk

Editorial disclaimer: information in Drilltalk is provided in good faith, but does not form part of any contract. Commentary and reporting on legislation is for interest only, and you should seek professional guidance before making any decisions.

AKZO NOBEL is a multinational manufactur-

ing corporation, active in healthcare products,

coatings and chemicals.

Their Akzo Nobel Packaging Coatings division based

in Baudesley Green, Birmingham, is on a 4 acre site,

and produces 45 million litres of resin annually. Water-

based, these are used to protect aluminum and steel

cans and aerosols from corrosion, in order to keep their

food and drink contents fresher for longer.

Globally Akzo Nobel places high emphasis on

sustainability in production, and one objective is for all

their plants to be water sustainable by 2015.

Scott Love is the fi rm’s UK Engineering Manager, and

he was tasked with arranging a borehole water supply

to replace water from the mains.

‘Water boreholes are not our area of expertise,’ he tells

Drilltalk. ‘So I was keen to fi nd a contractor who would

do a complete turnkey package, who would arrange

the hydrogeological survey and obtain whatever

permits and permissions are required, as well as doing

the borehole engineering.

WB&AD Morgan were selected, working in associa-

tion with hydrogeological consultants Envireau Water.

The production borehole was located on the site of a

demolished redundant building, with limited access

Shortly after drilling commenced some diffi cul-

ties were encountered: The site has been in use for

over a hundred years, originally as a brickworks, then

manufacturing paint and chemicals.

Scott tells us: ‘We had done some test drilling

to check if there were any problems with ground

contamination and found none, but when we started

drilling the main borehole, we hit a localized pocket of

contamination running to a depth of 10 metres, and

this gave us considerable anxiety regarding the viabil-

ity of the project. However, WB&AD Morgan contained

the problem very professionally.’

In the event, WB&AD Morgan drilled to a depth of 210

metres, with an 8 inch steel liner down to 160 metres.

This liner is fully grouted along its length, not only to

prevent the surface contamination seeping down, but

also to completely isolate the poor quality salts-laden

water in the Mercian mudstone layer. Extracted water

is drawn from the underlying Sherwood sandstone.

Ten cubic metres of water are now being extracted

every hour, and although the motive for creating a

private supply was driven for reasons of sustainability,

there will be cost savings.

‘It’s beautiful quality, I think we could diversify into

bottling mineral water,’ jokes Scott. We are delighted

with the way this project was handled.’

Over the Rainbow IMAGINE HAVING TO WALK 10km to your nearest water

supply. That’s the situation facing many people in the

Third World.

Rainbow Development in Africa, a charity located in Prest-

eigne, a neighbour to WB&AD Morgan, works with farmers

and their communities in southern Mauritania and northern

Senegal, where drought is a constant problem.

Part of Rainbow’s work is facilitating the digging of wells.

Each is dug by hand—there are no drilling rigs in use—and the

wells can be 50 metres deep. No mean feat, as this is a similar

measurement to Nelson’s Column.

The wells do not use electricity to operate, it is too undepend-

able, and water is drawn by donkey, rope and bucket. ‘Pumps

of any kind always seem to be broken, but low tech solutions

are dependable’ says Rainbow’s Peter Hudson.

Behind Peter Hudson and Brian Morgan in this photo is a

container of supplies ready for shipment, including pipes and

pneumatic drills.

Morgan’s had donated an electric pump, riser pipe and drop

cable. Rainbow sent a secondhand portable generator and an

electric breaker to speed up the time it takes to dig a well. The

electric pump will de-water the well every morning prior to

the start of well-digging. Previously this has been undertaken

using a donkey, bucket and rope. But this pump is only used

by the well diggers—when the well is fi nished, villagers use

reliable donkey power!

Find out more about this charity at rainbowdevelopmentinafrica.org

Sustainable waterSupply chain confidence with

Achilles Verify Certification

es as an

GREAT WORKSHigh capability with our Knebel rig. Trailer mounted and

fully mobile it will drill boreholes up to 1 metre diameter to

a depth of 300 metres. When you need it, you need it.

WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

St Ann’s is a very special and unique allotment site—it

is the oldest and largest area of Victorian detached

town gardens in the world and listed as Grade 2* by

English Heritage. The site covers 75 acres and is at the

heart of one of the most deprived inner-city communi-

ties in the UK.

Of course, to keep plants healthy, their demand for

water is high, and this had created a problem: Rent from

allotment tenants included the cost of water, and for

some years the water bill for the whole site was actually

more than the rents coming in. So while allotment rents

had remained at low and aff ordable levels, water bills

continued to rise menacingly.

To resolve this, STAA created a borehole water supply,

funded both by Nottingham City Council and the Herit-

age Lottery Fund.

Says Brian Morgan whose company drilled the

borehole: ‘Our brief was to drill a borehole complete with

a pumping system to feed a water ring-main supplying

standpipes for 480 allotments.

‘We were commissioned to drill an 80 metre deep

borehole to supply 5 cubic metres of water per hour.’

Drilling started with the emplacement of a 250mm

diameter steel casing 30 metres deep into a 350mm

diameter hole. This casing was then surrounded by

cement grout along its complete length: This was to

prevent possible contamination by any poor surface water

running down into the sandstone aquifer.

The full 80 metre borehole was lined with a 150mm

diameter uPVC casing and screen. It was then gravel-

packed with a 10mm formation stabiliser and hydraulically

developed to remove any fi nes and residual drilling muds.

The completed well was test-pumped to the satisfac-

tion of the Environment Agency for licensing, fi nally a

submersible pump, control system and GRP housing were

installed—and the low-priced water fl owed.

Typically a borehole reduces the cost of water by a

whopping 80%, and the St Ann’s folks are, naturally,

delighted both with their investment and the money

being saved.

THE STAKEHOLDERS IN STAA Limited—who operate Nottingham’s St Ann’s Allot-

ments—breathed a collective sigh of relief when they were able fi nally to switch off

the mains water supply.

SWITCH TO BOREHOLE SLASHES COSTS

THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH of a fi ssure at 144.9 metres below ground.

It was captured during a CCTV survey of a trial borehole drilled to

230 metres. The actual size of this fi ssure is perhaps no more than

3 inches but it shows how water is fl owing through the ground.

The borehole is artesian and water rises to the surface without

pumping, so this picture was taken completely under water:

When you look at the photo it seems as if the upper section is above

the water—but this is an illusion because the water fl owing from the

fi ssure is clean, while water below the fl aw is murky and turbid.

For good quality assurance, trial boreholes of this importance are nearly

always surveyed in a number of ways including CCTV.

Other tests run include Caliper, Natural Gamma, Resistivity, Flow,

Cement Bond—it’s a big subject, and we will be happy to explain if the

need arises.

In this scientifi c and professional approach, a full audit is helpful before

committing to a full sized large diameter production borehole.

Information gained from a trial borehole survey helps us to better

understand the actual geology, so that we can design the production

borehole for maximum effi ciency: this allows us to identify any issues

and provide a detailed report on the works required. We will seal off any

areas where bands of poor quality water or unstable ground can give

problems.

It also helps in the preparation of a fi nal report, submitting data to the

Environment Agency for licensing, who may require that certain levels

are sealed to protect against the risk of introducing contamination to

high quality water.

MANY FARMERS ARE LOOKING at ways

of diversifying their businesses, with

farm shops and B&Bs perhaps being the

most popular. But Herefordshire dairy

farmer Jim Hitchon has taken an innova-

tive direction.

His wife Sheila has long had a sideline baking

and decorating celebration cakes—especially

for weddings.

That business has been growing slowly

over the years, mainly with recommenda-

tions by friends and happy customers. Now

the farm is seriously gearing up to develop

this niche enterprise.

Since winning many competitions in her

days as a young farmer, Sheila’s talent for ornate icing has grown: ‘It’s like playing

the piano,’ says Sheila. ‘It looks easy but isn’t. Practice and technique are essential.’

This family concern is supported by daughter Sarah, a dab hand at both icing and

business administration.

ENVIRONMENT AND BUILDINGSA new bakery with an icing workshop has been created in an old

cider mill with a granary above, next to the farmhouse. ‘The build-

ing was ripe for renovation, we’d used it for storage, and it was

ideal for our purpose,’ Sheila says.

Sheila was keen to ensure the buildings are comfortable through

all seasons. And it was important to Jim that the conversion fi tted

in with his family’s view on life: ‘For us environmental considera-

tions and sustainability are very important.

Jim adds: ‘We’ve installed very high levels of insulation in the

building, but I was keen to avoid using oil or other fossil fuels to

heat it.

‘We decided on ground source heating. Not only is it inexhausti-

ble, but it’s very effi cient: every kilowatt of electricity I use to power

the pump delivers 4 kilowatts of heat to our underfl oor heating. So

we’ll be largely unaff ected by inevitable fuel prices increases.’

NO ENTRENCHED HASSLESThe usual way to extract heat from the ground is to dig huge

shallow trenches, then bury hundreds of metres of plastic piping

known as ‘slinkies’. This was the fi rst possibility that Jim consid-

ered, but was not the answer. ‘Despite being surrounded by

hundreds of acres of land, it would not have been that easy to

use a trenching system: to do this would have meant ripping up

a paved courtyard, demolishing and rebuilding an ancient stone

wall, cutting across a tarmaced drive, cutting across underground

water pipes, drainage, electricity and phone lines, before excavat-

ing a huge area of fi eld. Very disruptive indeed.’

The solution was neatly provided by WB&AD Morgan, who drilled an 80 metre

borehole and installed a heat pump connected to the underfl oor heating pipes.

Jim’s choice of installer was strongly infl uenced by Morgan’s reputation in Hereford-

shire for constructing water boreholes.

Brian Morgan, Managing Director of WB&AD

Morgan, comments that—apart from avoiding

installation havoc—a properly installed borehole

provides more dependable heat than slinkies, as it

will not become heat-exhausted: it is not uncom-

mon to see the ground above a trench system

covered with permafrost in springtime.

WARM WORKThe Hitchons were delighted with the result: a

single six inch borehole was drilled in a parking

area near the building, and pipework linked to a

heat pump the size of a boiler within the mill. Outside there is no evidence of the

work that was done, and the job itself involved no disruption or disturbance.

Says Jim: ‘Things went very smoothly, and we were very impressed with how profes-

sionally the project was handled by Morgans. I’d strongly recommend that anyone

thinking about heating buildings considers ground source heating. Adds Sheila: ‘We’ll

walk in from the cold and everything is wonderfully warm, just the job when we’re in

production—icing a cake with freezing cold hands is not recommended.’

For helpful information on ground source heating see www.fi ndingwater.co.uk, and for Sheila’s special occasion cakes visit

www.special-ice.co.uk

LIGHTS, CAMERA,

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BOREHOLE SURROUNDED BY A CONCRETE

SLABREADY FOR THE PUMP HOUSE AND

A STORAGE TANK

THE OLD CIDER HOUSE, WITH THE

SYSTEM’S HEAT EXCHANGER (INSET)

SARAH AND SHEILA HARD AT WORK: NICE ICE!

CAKES, FARMING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

AUTOMATIC CONTROLS FOR WATER

PUMPING

COMPLETING THE GRP PUMP HOUSE