New borehole - limited water

[Tom newby]

Hi All,

I noticed there seems to be some knowledgeable people around here and was hoping I could get some honest, experience input on an issue I am having.

I recently had a new borehole installed, they didn't really go down as far as I would have liked but rather stopped saying there is plenty of water, however I have had very dirty water coming from the hole and when I run the pump I get less than an hour of pumping (with a restricted output, i.e the valve party closed) during which the water gets increasingly dirtier until it basically dries up and I need to stop the pump so as not to completely destroy it.

The installer tells me the hole just needs time for the veins to open up and the hole to produce more water and that I should just keep running it on and off.

Does this sound right? I expected maybe in the beginning to get dirty water but I would have thought that if you are on the water correctly there should be no issue in volume, its not like I am pumping out KL at a time

Thoughts from experience anyone?

To add for context, there are several people with boreholes in the area, and they get the clearest water for hours on end at large volumes

TIA

[Slow Ranger]

Two questions:
At what level did they hit water and how many metres past that level did they drill?
Did they blow the hole when the rods were still down? They should have forced air down the hole with the compressor in order to clean the well from mud, etc.

[Andrew V9X]

It is normal initially to get dirty water but yes it shouldn’t gradually clear up.
I presume it is a single phase pump.
If it was 3 phase it would pump at a restricted flow if it was running in the wrong direction but I assume the installer would have done an initial flow test to confirm that.
Depending on how dirty the water is there is a sieve between the pump and motor where the water is drawn in. This could be partially blocked but then the pump would need to be pulled out to check.

I don’t know if any dry running protection was installed but the pump will then automatically switch off when the pumping curve changes substantially to protect the pump.

[Tom newby]

Two questions:
At what level did they hit water and how many metres past that level did they drill?
Did they blow the hole when the rods were still down? They should have forced air down the hole with the compressor in order to clean the well from mud, etc.

They hit some water quite shallow, lets say around 16-20m, then they continued to drill and went down somewhere between 35-40m, somewhere down there further they had hit more water, however I can't really say when they hit the more water and how far beyond that they went, unfortunately the details weren't too clear, I do believe they "lost' some of the hole though as I don't believe the hole is clear as deep as I am told it was drilled

Yes they were running a large compressor through the rods

[Tom newby]

It is normal initially to get dirty water but yes it shouldn’t gradually clear up.
I presume it is a single phase pump.
If it was 3 phase it would pump at a restricted flow if it was running in the wrong direction but I assume the installer would have done an initial flow test to confirm that.
Depending on how dirty the water is there is a sieve between the pump and motor where the water is drawn in. This could be partially blocked but then the pump would need to be pulled out to check.

I don’t know if any dry running protection was installed but the pump will then automatically switch off when the pumping curve changes substantially to protect the pump.

It is a single phase pump, I am fairly certain it is pumping in the right direction.

I don't think the sieve is blocked, after the hole recovers the pump is strong and gradually tapers off and then its almost as if it is surging towards the end, like the water is trying to keep up with the pump but just can't

[Erwin Schimper]

They should give you a dril report with this info on it. Few things to know before installing a pump.

Rest water level
Delivery of the hole
Level of the water when pumping
Installation depth should be 5m above the bottom of the hole
Distance from power source to borehole for the correct cable size
Is power source 3phase or single phase. Presume single phase is this case.

[Erwin Schimper]

What is the delivery of the pump. Think it is higher than what the hole can deliver.

Did they tell you the delivery.

[Andrew V9X]

It is a single phase pump, I am fairly certain it is pumping in the right direction.

I don't think the sieve is blocked, after the hole recovers the pump is strong and gradually tapers off and then its almost as if it is surging towards the end, like the water is trying to keep up with the pump but just can't

Ok thanks. I thought it pumped poorly until nothing.
You don’t mention when the pump was installed but yes this should improve on every run.
Fill a glass of water and take a photo.
And then compare with the next run and so on.

[Tom newby]

Ok thanks. I thought it pumped poorly until nothing.
You don’t mention when the pump was installed but yes this should improve on every run.
Fill a glass of water and take a photo.
And then compare with the next run and so on.

The pump was installed around a week after drilling, its been about 10 days now since the pump install. The pump is sitting around the 30m mark.

Thanks i will take some samples, initially when the hole has been resting the water is fairly clearish but as it gets to the end of the pumping its increasingly dirty, will do samples on both the start and end maybe

[Tom newby]

They should give you a dril report with this info on it. Few things to know before installing a pump.

Rest water level
Delivery of the hole
Level of the water when pumping
Installation depth should be 5m above the bottom of the hole
Distance from power source to borehole for the correct cable size
Is power source 3phase or single phase. Presume single phase is this case.

I never received any report and chatting with the guys on site I seemed to get different answers on things so its a bit confusing, I tried to keep an eye on things but its also very easy to lose track when you aren't able to watch every minute

When the hole has rested water is sitting somewhere around 5m down in the pipe. The pump is somewhere around 30m, the hole is supposedly somewhere between 35-40m but to be frank I think its just slightly more than 30m, maybe 33m or so (I gauged this based on how much casing I saw go in and the length of the vacuum pipe

Single phase pump.

With no restriction the pump seems capable of around 40L a minute, but then of course if I run it like this it is mere minutes before pumping stops. Running it with restrictions (valve partly closed, also on a hosepipe etc) then the output is around 10-20L a minute and of course it pumps longer but still can't keep up for even an hour

[Erwin Schimper]

I think the delivery is very low. 40lt per min is 2400lt.per hour. 20 is 1200lt per hour, and it still runs dry. Does it run dry at 10lt per min also. Then that hole does not have much water. Place it on a timer and pump into a tank.

[pwgg]

In a nut shell you have a seepage hole not a borehole. JHB is full of them.

The boreholes on my farms are all drilled next to dykes. Water tends to dam next to these dykes that can be seen from the air and run for long distances. The water is clean, and high yielding. In JHB leaking pipes, sewage etc contaminates the underground water that is there.

JHB is so full of conveniently placed boreholes, ie next to the power box in the corner of the property. The typical house wife will be shocked if the rig was parked in the middle of the tennis court. If it was divined by a hydrologist and drilled against a dyke you may have water but it will be contaminated.

My neighbour here in Sedgefield drilled a conveniently placed borehole and has been pumping french drain seepage ever since.

My advice would be to use it on the lawn, and install a float valve to cut off when the level drops.

[Tom newby]

I think the delivery is very low. 40lt per min is 2400lt.per hour. 20 is 1200lt per hour, and it still runs dry. Does it run dry at 10lt per min also. Then that hole does not have much water. Place it on a timer and pump into a tank.

yeah on 10l a minute it will also run dry.

What frustrates me is that I know there is better water below, and I strongly believe that if they just did the job properly and went down to the correct depth I wouldn't be having this issue but am not getting the story that the vein just needs time to open up, and that is the part I am basically trying to really understand - i.e is it possible and I just need to calm down, or that's not how this works and I either need to live with it or find someone more reliable and spend a bunch more money to fix the job

[ekkekan]

It is a single phase pump, I am fairly certain it is pumping in the right direction.

I don't think the sieve is blocked, after the hole recovers the pump is strong and gradually tapers off and then its almost as if it is surging towards the end, like the water is trying to keep up with the pump but just can't

Is the power supply to the pump close enough to a WiFi point?

[Tom newby]

Is the power supply to the pump close enough to a WiFi point?

Yeah I think it could, I assume you are going to recommend using a smart switch to run it in short bursts and if so I appreciate the suggestion as a solution (which will help) to the issue but it isn't really solving the root cause.

[Richard Mackay]

Uncouple the piping and withdraw the pump.
You will then be able to check its condition as to what the mud/sand issues are down there.
You will also be able to run it in your swimming pool and see how it performs under favorable conditions.
Also it's a good idea to keep the pump assembly free. So often they get stuck and you then have more anxiety!

[ekkekan]

Yeah I think it could, I assume you are going to recommend using a smart switch to run it in short bursts and if so I appreciate the suggestion as a solution (which will help) to the issue but it isn't really solving the root cause.

Yes you are right. At the cost of a smart switch I would try the loop timer free running with say 5min on and 40min off. With these times adjustable you can find times that suit while you plan a more permanent solution to this nasty problem.

Pumping to a tank as per previous post might keep you going in the short term.

[NewLandy]

I have a similar scenario.

A very weak borehole, runs for 15 mins, 400l , and then dry. If I run the pump every 12hrs, for 15 mins I get about 1000l/day. This is based on the borehole test.

Was also told to keep running it and flow will improve.
We sit on granite rock, apparently not good for water, or so I'm told.

Did the water divining thing, followed by seismic tool. Hit water but it's not a strong borehole. Weephole sounds better.

We also have coliforms in the water, did a water test, so I have not installed a pump. That will just be another R20k wasted.

I would like to hire a pump for a month and just run.it to see if it flow and clarity improves..

[Tom newby]

I have a similar scenario.

A very weak borehole, runs for 15 mins, 400l , and then dry. If I run the pump every 12hrs, for 15 mins I get about 1000l/day. This is based on the borehole test.

Was also told to keep running it and flow will improve.
We sit on granite rock, apparently not good for water, or so I'm told.

Did the water divining thing, followed by seismic tool. Hit water but it's not a strong borehole. Weephole sounds better.

We also have coliforms in the water, did a water test, so I have not installed a pump. That will just be another R20k wasted.

I would like to hire a pump for a month and just run.it to see if it flow and clarity improves..

Sorry to hear it

What really frustrates me is I am really sure it is because of the job done and not the area, I know for a fact that is way more water below than what I am able to get, super frustrating to put so much money into something and be left with a disappointing product.

[Erwin Schimper]

What was your agreement with the driller. Why did he stop. You pay per meter. So if you want 100m and are prepared to pay, then he has to drill 100m.

What are the specs of your pump. How long does it take to recover to rest water level.