Anyone noticed the rise in the numbers of initial and additional boreholes being driven in the UK? With each cubic metre from the ground costing about 7p a litre to extract, and 70p from the main, it's not hard to see why drilling contractors are so busy but its not good for the headwaters of our rivers. Each can extract up to 20 000 litres/day by right.

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A contractor working locally went down 550 feet, found no water, so blasted the bottom of the hole to shatter the rock in order to re-divert subterranean flows. The blast was so violent it had possible implications to the foundations of surface buildings.

I’ve started to investigate the abstractions so they can be compared to rainfall. There used to be a cracking chap who worked in my local EA offices who dealt with this type of thing. He has retired since I last needed his help. They will still provide me with a full list of bole holes and quantities taken from each rivers catchment. I know the aquifer under my feet could be the product of rain falling many miles away but my aim is to establish whether the rainfall on the catchment is capable of supporting the abstractions and a healthy river system. The economic argument against mains water in favour of bore holes could make perennial flow into lifeless winterbournes. I’ve got to prove considerable environmental impact and prove the bore holes responsible in order that the EA stop issuing licences.

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Unfortunately they are no longer regulated in the way they were. The EA won't have a full list as individual properties no longer need permission. The Local council will need to be notified though so they'll have a list.

However the abstraction will take place whether from a borehole or not. As permission is no longder needed to install one of these what intervention do you envisage being able to make?.

I am completely new to this in this country, I realise abstraction is one of our big evils ( and more obvious when it is pumped directly from your river flow under licence).
I am sadly aware that one of the projects i am designing is turning a lot of desert land into some ones large green garden through private bore holes. But the size of the problems from Private deep bore holes hadn't registered with me as a problem in the UK.
Despite no other response on this thread I am sure many of us are interested to see what you uncover. Please keep up the good work, and keep us informed.



Oh beanzy answered too.... snap!

Within Catchment Area Management Strategies are sustainability appraisals. Each catchment is given a status with mine classified as 'No Water Available'. Unfortunately it goes on to say that 'the ecological river flow objective is met all of the time. I am saying it is not, and aim to prove it. If I can prove a case for an over licenced status there will be every possibility for a 'resource recovery'. The Water Act brought in time limits to all licences, with a universal maturation point, ours is 2018. It will come around sooner than you might think.

As a keeper on rivers fed from limestone aquifers, I much prefer winter capture of surface water, well I would wouldn't I...

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I am sure we all would if we knew the extent of what was happening.

It frightens me to death, WP

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Not sure if there's anything of use you can dig out of here Warren.

Data Sets and Facilities

if not they may be able to give you a steer to somewhere more useful.

The old requirements are still posted on the BGS site.

Borehole Notification Requirements

That's tonights reading sorted. Thanks.

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