Borehole at Lower Burnt Hilĺ.

[Wendyf]

Water!! Loads of it, and it's looking iron free.
They have drilled to 32m, lined with the plastic pipes and filled around them with fine gravel. The water has risen 25m back up the borehole. Their pump is down at about 30m and we need to flush water through for a couple of days. We will only need a small pump rated at less than 0.5kw.
Interesting that they didn't get down to gritstone which could be why the water looks clear of iron.
They will be back on Monday to bring the pressure vessel, clear up and move the vehicles off-site. The pump might take a few days to arrive.
Photos later once Col has recovered from a stressful day watching and recording progress!

[Gloria]

Haven't they done it quickly?

[Wendyf]

Seriously effective drilling rig Gloria with only shale/mudstone to drill through. The slow bit is waiting for cement to set.

[Wendyf]

End of the day and an old flannelette sheet wrapped around the well head to prevent the dogs from peeing on the temporary electrical connection.

20180714_211736.jpg

[Stanley]

Wonderful Wendy.... and that result has brought running costs and maintenance down as well!
Now..... the big question is, where are you going to put the swimming pool........

[chinatyke]

Exciting stuff. Good result. Did they get complete cores out of the drills or was it all fractured and chewed up?

[Stanley]

No cores China, the drill bit is oil well type and grinds the deposit up. Discharged at well head as mud.
I've known that farm for over 60 years and it has always been short of water.... just think, in all those years there it was just 21ft down...... I think it's wonderful that that problem has been solved once and for all! Well done Wendy and Col for taking the initiative, they deserve the luxury of an assured water supply.

[Wendyf]

Completely different geology to next door where they came across gritstone quite early on. There is an old quarry just up the hill in the field behind us as well. How weird.
The waste that comes out is directed away in a large pipe, in our case it went under a hedge and into the field. There isn't a huge amount and it's mostly fine dust but there are some larger chips of what they called black rock, which formed the surface of a lower layer of shale.
A nice father and son team doing the job, happy to chat and answer any questions. Both of them ex Royal Engineers they really enjoy their work and meeting people. Dad David started out working down the pit in Bentley near Doncaster, joined the army to get away then after 7 years returned home, tried mining again and various other things but eventually bought his own rig and started the business. His son Darren joined him after his army service and working on offshore oil rigs. Dad could tell stories all day!

[Wendyf]

The answer to your back-up problems, approximately £40.
[/quote]
As the water has risen up to 7m from the top we could use one of these after all Graham!

[Stanley]

Isn't it nice to see something going to plan. Now for the analysis of the water when the bore has settled down......

[Wendyf]

They will be back today bringing the pressure vessel and switch. Col made a concrete base in the corner of the barn where it will be sited. He has already brought wiring through and established where the water connection will be made. Our pump should arrive midweek, and Col needs to complete his trench and connect up!
We pumped the water into the pond yesterday until it ran clear, flushing anything left from the drilling process out of the borehole. That was very difficult to do after conserving every drop for the last couple of months!
The vehicles will be away today to spend a few days parked up at the farm before moving on to the next job at a business down in Crosshills, after that they come back up this way to drill a borehole for Lothersdale School.

[Stanley]

Getting used to having plenty of water is going to be the least of your problems Wendy!
Col must be in his element! Good luck with it all.

[Wendyf]

A few more photos from both days of drilling.

Day 1, preparations being made:






Day 2, the first 5 metres have been drilled and steel liners sunk. A flange has been welded on and a manifold bolted on which directs the waste away under a hedge and into the field.





Like this!



A drill extension being moved into place:



Ready to secure it at the top.



Drill bit having done it's job:



Plastic liners going in.



Followed by gravel,



and Bentonite.

[Stanley]

Nice pics Wendy.... Good kit, competent men and a straightforward job. You couldn't have had it better. I'm glad, you deserve it!

[Gloria]

Thanks for adding all this Wendy, it's been really interesting watching it happen.

[Tizer]

Yes, thanks Wendy for all the work putting the photos on OG. And it's great when you've got good workmen to do a job like your borehole and when they're confident enough of the quality of their work that they don't mind pics being taken.

[Marilyn]

ive still got Gremlins here and my reply posted twice....so read below

[Marilyn]

Of all the space you have though Wendy...why right THERE...near your outdoor sitting area?
It would be just my luck too. The one place you can sit calmly with a cup of tea, some fellow decides to drill.

[Wendyf]

Because it was the only sensible place Maz, with easy access for pipes and electrics. Thank heavens everywhere is dry, or we would have been floundering around in a sea of mud. That whole area needs attention anyway, it's been a mess for years and hopefully this will spur us on to getting it sorted!

[chinatyke]

Thanks Wendy. Very interesting. They've worked hard. Is the water intended for your consumption as well as the animals, and will it be fit for humans without further treatment?

[Tizer]

Maz, up in those parts it's what they have as a patio water feature!

[Wendyf]

It is mainly for use in the house China and we are waiting for someone to test the water before it can be connected up. It shouldn't need the filter or UV light that we use now to make the spring water fit to drink, but there may be some other treatment necessary depending on what's in it. We have sipped it and it tastes OK, only slightly different to the spring water.

Very true Tiz! We are tempted to add a decorative well with musical gnomes turning the handle ....and fairy lights!

[Stanley]

Or build a fairy tale well with a roof, bucket and windlass over it.
Have you tried boiling a kettle of it Wendy and making tea? That can tell you a lot about the quality of the water. I used to hate that scum that formed on a cup of tea with some London Water!

[chinatyke]

It is mainly for use in the house China and we are waiting for someone to test the water before it can be connected up. It shouldn't need the filter or UV light that we use now to make the spring water fit to drink, but there may be some other treatment necessary depending on what's in it. We have sipped it and it tastes OK, only slightly different to the spring water.

Very true Tiz! We are tempted to add a decorative well with musical gnomes turning the handle ....and fairy lights!

Thanks Wendy. It didn't cross my mind that you'd be on spring water and not the mains.
The picture of the green hand pump came about because I was thinking of buying one as a feature for my Koi pond on our roof terrace, so Tiz isn't far off the mark with his comment. By the way, I use 2 x 11W UV lights on the pond filters.

[Stanley]

When I was researching water mills I found a firm near Accrington that had been in business for over 100 years and was still doing a good trade with developing countries with hand pumps like that and hydraulic rams for pumping water. They were quite popular round here at one time before the advent of the mains.



Here's one that still exists, Hall Spout Ram at Salterforth.