Key Post: Group Water Scheme & Private Wells.

I've been looking at some country houses on property websites, and of course most do not have mains water.

They have either a private well, or what is described as "group water scheme".

I know what a private well is, and that it is pumped into the house via a pump; but what is meant by "group water scheme"?

Which is better/worse, or are there any disadvantages to "group water scheme" as opposed to a well.

Thanks.

Re: Group Water Scheme & Private Wells

The might be of interest to you.

Group Water Scheme & Private Wells

Thanks ClubMan, this page explained a lot to me. Thanks for this.


Does anyone have experience of using either a "Group Water Scheme" or private well?

Are there any disadvantages/advantages to either? Is it usually considered "better" to have one rather then the other?

Thanks

Re: Group Water Scheme & Private Wells

Most Group Water Schemes were set up as local voluntary organisations in the 70s to provide water supplies to rural areas. The quality of water varies a lot from one Scheme to another - generally depending on any pollution in the locality and the maintenance resources the Group Scheme has.

It is usually nicer to have a private well as (1) one is sure where the water is coming from (2) it will generally be easier to monitor water quality.

Private well

When the well is on land you own you know exactly what you are getting and it is easy to get the water tested if in doubt.
Even if the water is contaminated with some bacteria you'll probably be immune to it if you've lived there all your life.
Our well has been totally reliable. The pump needs to be replaced/rewound every couple of years.
Have had water supply when everyone around us has been without courtesy of the unrelable local group water scheme.
Our well is a couple of hundred feet deep so the supply is filtered by hundreds of feet of limestone gravel which makes it pure excepting the lime.

If you are working off a well then look out for neighbours septic tanks and if a new site is marked out near by then inspect the plans carefully as you need to know where their septic tank is and if possible force them to move their septic tank as far away from you as possible.

Private Well

Thanks GeoffreyOD - very much appreciated.

Can I ask;

a) what does it cost to a pump replaced/rewound?

b) I wonder, if a house gets it's water from a group water scheme, can a private well still be drilled on the land in order to get water from a well instead? If it can, I wonder why people who get their water from a group water scheme do not drill their own private well; maybe it's expensive?

I think I remember hearing that it's possible to get a grant (not a loan) in order to drill a well.

pumps

Went over to submersible pump about a decade ago and they're cheap to replace and don't appear to be under as much strain as a pump that has to suck water from below the surface up to ground level and then pump it to the house. Before getting the submersible my father used to have a second redundant pump that was there in case the first one broke down.
Our well has been around a lot longer than I have so I don't know much about the mechanics of drilling wells.
All I know is that we have the Well and we are nowhere near a stream or river and that we have an underground tank that holds thousands of gallons of water so that the pump isn't constantly kicking in and out with a dedicated fresh water tap coming directly from the well rather than the tank for clean drinking water even though the tank is clean.
Then we have the underground tank pump which fills the tank in the attic as there isn't pressure there to fill it as would happen if you were connected off the mains.
Our system might be a bit over elaborate compared to others.
You'll need a diviner to find a good well or spring and then it will cost you a huge amount to get at the water and make the supply reliable so if you haven't got access to a well you'd be better off going with a group water scheme and then get involved in the scheme to make sure your water supply is pure in the future.

group water scheme

we are currently part of a group water scheme, it works ok and is very cheap 50 euro per year....but big problems with limescale, pressure and at times a distinct smell of chlorine from water

Wells

Thanks again GeoffreyOD

Interesting about the submersible pumps.

I'm sure I heard one time (maybe I'm wrong), but I'm sure I heard it was possible to receive a grant to drill a well if there was no water supply to a house.

Does anyone know which government department might be able to give advice on whether grants are available for drilling a well?

Re: >>Group Water Scheme & Private Wells

Some other posts

RacerX
Unregistered User
Grant for Well ?

Hello,

would anyone know where I might inquire if it is possible to get a grant towards the cost of digging a well ? I am not on the water mains and so have no choice.

Thanks,

RacerX.

0
Frequent poster
Re: Grant for Well ?

This link might be of help:



Racer
Unregistered User
Well Grant

Called the Dept of Environment.

No grant.

RacerX.

alandd
Registered User
Re: Well Grant

This is possible, you do get a grant (My brother in law got one)..
It took ages though and they had to but in purifier.

But the actual grant is for the pump, and not the actual drilling of the well

Thanks
alan

0
Frequent poster
Re: Well Grant

From the OASIS link above:


Quote:
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Individual Supply Grant Scheme

Under this scheme, if your house is more than 7 years old and not connected to either a public or group scheme, you will be eligible for a grant, (subject to some conditions). The grant is worth up to 2,031.58 euro (or 75% of cost of the work, whichever is the lesser) and must be used to for the provision of a new water supply or the upgrading of an existing one. Only one grant per house will be allowed in any 10-year period and to qualify for the grant, the work you propose must cost more than 635 euro. A local authority inspection will be carried out before any work starts. The kind of work that would be eligible for the grant is the drilling of a new well or the provision of essential pumping or water filtration/disinfection equipment. For more details and application forms, you should apply to your local authority.
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Water Quality - group schemes

The EPA have published a report on drinking water quality in Ireland which includes test analysis from both Group and Public water supplies.

[broken link removed]

or via www.epa.ie and look under 'Water' on the left hand side.

Although certainly not all Group Water Schemes are of the same low quality, the findings for Group Schemes were very worrying.
If you are thinking of a Group Scheme, insist on seeing the water quality analysis for the past few years before signing up.

Is there a subsidy/grant availiable for small group schemes to upgrade their supply?

Is there a subsidy/grant availiable for ongoing maintenance costs and ESB?

Thanks sparkey,

Do you know whether these grants are for domestic householders only or can businesses (B&B's, pubs, shops, dairy farmers etc), schools, churches, GAA clubs etc avail of the grants also?

I have a 90m well, and a new house under construction next door. After many years, a GWS was put in place in the area, but I believe the quality is undrinkable. It is also subject to low pressure and being o/s at w/ends......

hi

live in laois and am part of a GWS - no problems with it whatsoever. pressure is fine, ok there is the smell of chlorine but it is not too bad. we pay €50 for first 10,000 gallons of water, then €2.50 per 1000 gallons afterwards. our bill for 2006 was approx. €66. €66 not bad for myself, wife and 1-kid at the moment.

i think whether private well or GWS all depends on the local area. some areas are good, some are bad.

generally we have never had a problem with our GWS. ok, a new pump had to be fitted there about 14wks ago, the old one went on saturday afternoon but you cannot plan for things like that. the same thing could happen if you have a private well. we have a company in thurles which services/repairs/replaces the pump-house on a regurlar basis.

bored well or surface well?
Does anyone know of a water diviner in the Meath area. I believe a bored well can go several feet deep and a surface well is generally only a shallow well feed by a spring. I was hoping to sink the shallow well.
secondly if I have to get a well bored, is there a standard price per foot etc?

Hello, I have a shallow well (20 foot deep/4 foot wide & around 10 foot of water available)and I need to buy a good pump for house-hold use, can anyone recommend a good model/type & also what can I use to clean the water.

I am renovating an old cottage in The West of Ireland that used to have a well. The cottage has no water mains connection although the house across the road does. I have been looking into obtaining water from the well but upon enquiring about an Individual Water Supply grant from the County Council, I was told that as there was a mains supply nearby I have to access my supply from there, and pay them E1500 for the privilege (as well as paying a contractor to do the work!).

Is this correct?

Would you expect them to pay you to bore/repair a well when a mains supply is available?