Tom Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 So as far as I'm aware there have been no problems with the water from the borehole since it was put in years ago, and certainly when we moved to site in February and started drinking it with gay abandon it was fine (we also had it tested - all good without any treatment needed). In the last few weeks however it has started to taste of iron and has started to leave rust stains in the shower, basin etc. Cosmic. It comes out of the tap clear but goes red when oxidises, so I guess it's dissolved/ferrous iron. I'm not bothered about the rust staining while we're in the caravan, and have switched to bottled water for drinking, but does anyone have experience of this? Can we expect it to go back to normal at some stage? I guess this might be due to the ridiculous wet weather we had in April/May-ish. If it has changed to this I guess there is every chance it will change back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 One of our former members wrote a series of former posts on a former blog about his borehole saga, which may well have covered that as well as everything else. Access the entries via the link on the right. https://web.archive.org/web/20200815110812/http://www.mayfly.eu/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Tom said: .... it has started to taste of iron and has started to leave rust stains in the shower, ... (it) ... goes red when (it) oxidises, so I guess it's dissolved/ferrous iron... Might it be something else? I ask because I don't know what dissolved iron in water tastes like - and bet most of us don't. And if your assumption is wrong then .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 Thanks both. It tastes metallic, like rust, but is clear - hence I'm guessing (from my web research) that it's ferrous iron. It goes rust coloured when allowed to oxidise eg - leave a glass of it overnight. I remember reading JSH's blog about his water treatment shenanigans a few years ago, and praying at the time I wouldn't have to go through the same faff! I guess I'm just wondering what experience people might have of boreholes over time - do they change like this - then go back to how they were? Could I be right in thinking the rainfall a few months ago would have affected it like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 I think you need to get it tested. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 +1 to testing - you may need UV sterilisation on it plus a few other things such as ferric iron washout using filtration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 Yep, it's being tested tomorrow ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 No anemic folk round your way then eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Potter Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 7 hours ago, Tom said: So as far as I'm aware there have been no problems with the water from the borehole since it was put in years ago, and certainly when we moved to site in February and started drinking it with gay abandon it was fine (we also had it tested - all good without any treatment needed). In the last few weeks however it has started to taste of iron and has started to leave rust stains in the shower, basin etc. Cosmic. It comes out of the tap clear but goes red when oxidises, so I guess it's dissolved/ferrous iron. I'm not bothered about the rust staining while we're in the caravan, and have switched to bottled water for drinking, but does anyone have experience of this? Can we expect it to go back to normal at some stage? I guess this might be due to the ridiculous wet weather we had in April/May-ish. If it has changed to this I guess there is every chance it will change back? Hi Tom A few thoughts.. If you can taste and see the physical rusting you need to get to the root cause of it..on the upside you can be "Columbo" or Miss Marple.. Your starting point is often to look at the obvious and rule things out. Here are few: 1/ Have you done anything in the house that may have impacted on the internal plumbing..is your boiler leaking system water into the potable water?.. do you have modern or old pipework? 2/ Is pipe from the head of the bore to the house ok, is it leaking and syphoning back say and drawing surface ground water in? 3/ Is the cover to the borehole sealed ok. 4/ Is the bore cased at the top and is the casing falling apart. 5/ Is the bore hole pump falling to bits. 6/ How deep is the bore hole. Very deep and it could be in the lower aquifer, shallow maybe in a perched water table..the two behave differently as they can draw the water from far away or close by respectively. Worth a bit of time researching this. 7/ Have a walk about.. in your garden first.. have you been using any fertilisers or chemicals? next.. what have your neighbours been up to? Have any local farmers etc been "improving the soil" or using the likes of iron suplhates? 8/ Has there been development going on round about you that could have altered the ground water regime. 9/ Any factories shutting down (mines used to be an issue but not many of them left) that have been pumping the ground water. When they stop the ground water rises and can flush stuff out to your bore hole. 10/ Has anything been poured down drains you own and other folks too. Drains / soakaways leak so consider this. I'll stop at ten things but if you can rule these out and think of a few more yourself then you could save yourself a bit of cash on professional fees. Just put together a small package of info you have and this will often serve you well. All the best and stick to the bottled water until you get to the bottom of it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperJohnG Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Defo tested and you should have required treatment put in place. I have just had my treatment requirements quoted...after a major headache of getting no water at first...which then turned into trickle (200lph) we can now use. I needed basic treatment and it's 8k....the whole borehole thing might be my biggest f*ck uo so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted August 3, 2021 Author Share Posted August 3, 2021 Thanks Gus, some good things to look in to there. The only thing that has changed recently is we had to replace the pump, might have a chat with the people who did this and see if they have any ideas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Potter Posted August 4, 2021 Share Posted August 4, 2021 On 03/08/2021 at 06:18, Tom said: Thanks Gus, some good things to look in to there. The only thing that has changed recently is we had to replace the pump, might have a chat with the people who did this and see if they have any ideas. Hi Tom. Yes it could be something simple. Check the things you can, even just to know you have not missed something blindingly obvious, before you start spending on fees / further testing etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorenz Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 Slightly off topic, but do the water board charge you for the use of the water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 12 minutes ago, Lorenz said: Slightly off topic, but do the water board charge you for the use of the water? No because they are not supplying a service … I.e the water is not being treated or pumped by anyone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorenz Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 I just seem to remember about people being charged for sewage and extracting water by water boards, even though they were not connected? I do like the idea of being off grid, so if possible and if I would not have to pay or be messed around by another utility, it makes it rather inviting. I did have well water boreholes etc on different properties I had abroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Lorenz said: I just seem to remember about people being charged for sewage and extracting water by water boards, even though they were not connected? I do like the idea of being off grid, so if possible and if I would not have to pay or be messed around by another utility, it makes it rather inviting. I did have well water boreholes etc on different properties I had abroad. You can/do get charged for taking water from rivers and for sewage if you discharge into a sewer or water course as these are managed. pretty sure you should have a license to take water out of a borehole tho. Edited August 12, 2021 by markc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 On 02/08/2021 at 17:22, PeterW said: +1 to testing - you may need UV sterilisation on it plus a few other things such as ferric iron washout using filtration. UV is minimum you should always do with any bore hole to kill any bacteria that gathers up in your system or storage tanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 2 hours ago, markc said: pretty sure you should have a license to take water out of a borehole tho. only over a certain volume which is massively less than a normal house uses. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdinand Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 27 minutes ago, PeterW said: only over a certain volume which is massively less than a normal house uses. "less" is "more". ? I think a license is >10,000l per day. ie up to 1.5 Olympic Pools per year ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorenz Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 I'm sold on a borehole (or the like) then, if we manage to find the right place..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share Posted February 13, 2022 Just stumbled across my old thread and though I'd update with the solution, in case anyone needs it. So, our borehole water became contaminated with iron, manganese and sulphur dioxide. Local borehole firm quoted us many thousands for a holding tank, filter and additional pump to feed the supply. After some online research (and testing the sulphur levels with test strips) I just went for a single Fiolx-R filter unit with a Clack valve bought online and fitted myself - no need for storage tanks or additional pumps etc. Works perfectly - or at least our hair hasn't turned green - and should last years before changing the media for a hundred quid or so.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 On 12/08/2021 at 10:14, markc said: You can/do get charged for taking water from rivers and for sewage if you discharge into a sewer or water course as these are managed. pretty sure you should have a license to take water out of a borehole tho. We have no charge for discharging into our burn. We did need a permit from SEPA to do so. We pay for mains water, that is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 (edited) 23 minutes ago, ProDave said: We have no charge for discharging into our burn. We did need a permit from SEPA to do so. We pay for mains water, that is all. Try living in Cormwall. We pay for water, then for sewage, then twice for rainwater. What comes off our roofs, and what falls on our property and goes into the streets. Still, the £8.50/tonne we pay keeps the beaches clean so holiday maker's dogs can shit on them. Edited February 13, 2022 by SteamyTea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 1 hour ago, SteamyTea said: We pay for water, then for sewage, then twice for rainwater. What comes off our roofs, and what falls on our property and goes into the streets. Why “twice for rainwater”? You pay to have your sewerage treated based on a fraction of the water consumed, not metered rainwater ?♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted February 13, 2022 Share Posted February 13, 2022 2 hours ago, Tom said: Just stumbled across my old thread and though I'd update with the solution, in case anyone needs it. So, our borehole water became contaminated with iron, manganese and sulphur dioxide. Local borehole firm quoted us many thousands for a holding tank, filter and additional pump to feed the supply. After some online research (and testing the sulphur levels with test strips) I just went for a single Fiolx-R filter unit with a Clack valve bought online and fitted myself - no need for storage tanks or additional pumps etc. Works perfectly - or at least our hair hasn't turned green - and should last years before changing the media for a hundred quid or so.? We have similar. But you may need a post filter, we have a 10 and 5 micron unit. And UV just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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