Can I Get a Borehole Drilled for Irrigation?

Yes — you can commission a specialist contractor to investigate and drill a borehole for irrigation. The important question is not simply whether a hole can be drilled, but whether it can provide enough usable water for your site at a sustainable rate, with suitable water quality and the permissions required.

Drilling does not guarantee a useful water supply. Nearby borehole records can help with early research, but the likely depth, yield and water quality still need site-specific assessment and testing.

Start with the irrigation requirement

Before asking for quotations, prepare a short site brief. It should include:

• the site address and a marked proposed drilling area;
• what will be irrigated and the busiest expected watering period;
• the estimated daily water volume and the peak irrigation flow;
• whether a storage tank is available or could be installed;
• access, working space and ground conditions for a drilling rig;
• available electrical supply and possible pump or tank locations;
• known services, contamination risks, drainage routes and environmental constraints.

If the irrigation demand is not yet known, begin with the number and type of outlets that may operate together, their working pressure and flow, intended run times and the number of watering cycles required.

Check free nearby borehole records

The British Geological Survey provides free online access to many scanned borehole, shaft and well records through BGS Borehole Records and the BGS GeoIndex.

Look at several records around the site rather than relying on the nearest map pin. Depending on the record, useful information may include:

• the recorded depth;
• the geological layers encountered and their thickness;
• water strikes or water-level observations;
• the purpose of the borehole and notes from drilling or investigation.

These records are starting evidence, not a guarantee. The collection covers many types of drilling and ground investigation, not only water-supply boreholes. Coverage and detail vary, and the GeoIndex notes that present-day public abstraction boreholes are not displayed. A successful neighbouring borehole does not prove that the same depth, yield or water quality will be available on your land. No nearby record does not prove that drilling is impossible.

Use a specialist borehole contractor

UK Flow Centre does not drill boreholes. Commission a specialist water-well drilling contractor. For a larger, sensitive or uncertain scheme, involve a hydrogeologist to assess the source, plan the investigation and interpret the results.

Ask prospective contractors about:

• experience in similar geology and with irrigation water supplies;
• the proposed drilling method, rig access and working area;
• casing, screens, headworks, sanitary sealing and borehole protection;
• how drilling water, cuttings and test water will be managed;
• development of the borehole after drilling;
• step testing or constant-rate pumping tests and recovery monitoring;
• water sampling and laboratory analysis;
• the borehole log, test results, completion record and operating recommendations you will receive;
• what happens, and what remains payable, if the yield or quality is unsuitable.

Test sustainable output, not just an early flow

An initial water strike or short pumping run does not establish the dependable supply. A properly planned pumping test helps assess how water level changes during pumping, how the borehole recovers and whether the proposed abstraction may affect nearby wells, springs, rivers or other environmental features.

Use the tested sustainable output when selecting the borehole pump and planning the irrigation supply. Do not size a pump from its catalogue maximum or from an unverified estimate of borehole depth.

Test the water quality

Clear-looking water is not proof that it is suitable. Arrange water analysis for the intended use before finalising pumps, filtration, treatment and irrigation equipment. The relevant tests depend on the site, geology, irrigation method, planting and whether the water could contact people, buildings or sensitive equipment.

If the supply will also be used for drinking or domestic purposes, speak to the local authority. The Drinking Water Inspectorate states that local authorities regulate private water supplies in England and Wales and are the first point of contact for testing and identified risks.

Can the borehole feed the irrigation system directly?

Sometimes, but compare two different figures:

• borehole supply: the tested sustainable flow available over time;
• irrigation demand: the peak flow and working pressure needed by the active zone.

If the irrigation system needs a higher short-term flow than the borehole can sustainably provide, a storage tank can fill more slowly and a separate irrigation pump can supply the higher peak demand. Storage can bridge a difference between filling rate and irrigation demand; it cannot create water, improve borehole yield or increase the volume that may legally be abstracted.

The system should also protect the borehole pump against dry running, excessive starts, unsuitable water level and operation outside its permitted duty.

Get a quotation for the complete working supply

A drilling-only price is not the total cost of an irrigation water supply. Ask for the quotation to separate:

• desk study, site visit and permissions support;
• mobilisation, drilling and depth-related rates;
• casing, screens, gravel pack, seals and headworks;
• development, cleaning, pumping tests and reporting;
• water-quality sampling and laboratory charges;
• borehole pump, rising main, cable, controls and dry-run protection;
• electrical work and power-supply requirements;
• storage tank, fill controls and separate irrigation pump where required;
• filtration or treatment;
• pipework, chambers, frost protection and commissioning;
• disposal of spoil, drilling fluids and test water;
• records, warranties, servicing and future access.

Confirm which items are fixed, which depend on final depth or test results, and which costs still apply if the borehole is unsuccessful.

Check permissions before drilling

England: the Environment Agency treats consent to investigate a groundwater source and an abstraction licence as separate matters. Its current groundwater-investigation guidance says consent is required where the intended abstraction is 20 cubic metres or more a day. Its general abstraction guidance says taking more than 20 cubic metres a day will generally require a licence, subject to exemptions and site-specific rules. Because the wording differs at the 20 m³/day boundary, refer an exact 20 m³/day proposal directly to the Environment Agency rather than assuming it is exempt. Multiple abstraction points from the same source can be counted together.

Also confirm landowner permission, planning requirements, access, protected sites, test-water discharge and any other site-specific controls before work starts.

Elsewhere in the UK: England's rules are not UK-wide. Check the current requirements with Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency or the Northern Ireland Environment Agency as applicable. Scotland regulates borehole construction and groundwater abstraction through its controlled-activities regime. Northern Ireland has separate notification and licensing thresholds.

How UK Flow Centre can help

Once the investigation and test information is available, UK Flow Centre can help you organise the downstream irrigation equipment around real figures: pumps, storage, controls, filtration and pipework. For the people and practical irrigation background behind the centre, see UK Flow Centre & JK Irrigation.

Useful next pages:

• Pumps
• Which pump do I need?
• Choosing a filter and pressure regulator
• Water storage
• Why is my irrigation system losing pressure?
• Technical Hub

When asking for help, send the site location, irrigation demand, proposed borehole test results, water analysis, available power, tank details and any drawings or photographs. Contact UK Flow Centre.

Primary sources

• British Geological Survey: Borehole records
• British Geological Survey: GeoIndex boreholes layer
• Environment Agency: Apply for consent to investigate a groundwater source
• Environment Agency: Check if you need a licence to abstract water
• Natural Resources Wales: Groundwater investigation consent
• SEPA: Controlled Activities Regulations applicant guidance
• DAERA/NIEA: Abstraction and impoundment licensing requirements
• Drinking Water Inspectorate: Private water supplies

Primary sources checked 11 October 2026. Requirements and manufacturer information can change; confirm the current position for the site before committing to work.