When the well runs dry

[dick turpin]

Yes, you guessed, the well at our homestead has run dry.

It is a 16 metre Isaan-style well fitted with concrete hoops

down to its base.

 

All that remains is a muddy slop.

What to do, we are not staying there at the moment, so

rely on communal village advice, which includes digging

out the mud in the hope of finding water, or checking on

the internal pump.

 

The only positive at the moment is that we do have a

2,000 litre storage tank, which we can fill by hose via

a govt water pipe on the property.

 

Any suggestion welcome, my personal "extreme" measure

is to dig another deeper well, to avoid any future problems.

. 

 

 

[Ohyesuare]

Yeah, got to dig deeper, that's what most do.

[bob smith]

How's about moving somewhere a bit more up market?

 

Digging wells in this weather?

 

You must be out of our mind!!

 

Bob.

Edited May 5 by bob smith

[JeffersLos]

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

How's about moving somewhere a bit more up market?

 

Digging wells in this weather?

 

You must be out of our mind!!

 

Looking for water, found bob.

 

You have my sympathies, dick. 

[Sandboxer]

Clickbait! 😡

 

I was expecting a juicy post about a dumbass falangi whose parents finally cut him off and can't afford to feed his soi soi 4 LB habit anymore. 😋

 

 

[bob smith]

7 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

 

Looking for water, found bob.

 

You have my sympathies, dick. 

You dig for water too?

 

So if I told you that I regularly bathe in Evian, i'm guessing it wouldn't go down too well with you two?

 

😄

 

Bob.

Edited May 5 by bob smith

[dick turpin]

Just now, bob smith said:

How's about moving somewhere a bit more up market?

 

Digging wells in this weather?

 

You must be out of our mind!!

 

Bob.

 

We already live somewhere a lot more upmarket,

this is our secondary retreat.

 

Do you actually think I would be doing the digging.

 

 

 

[Dmaxdan]

38 minutes ago, bob smith said:

You dig for water too?

 

So if I told you that I regularly bathe in Evian, i'm guessing it wouldn't go down too well with you two?

 

😄

 

Bob.

Who's Evian and is she available for hire?

 

Joking aside, Evian is naive spelt backwards which pretty much sums up the people who buy it.

[NorthernRyland]

I'm going to be making a well in the coming years and I'm told it will need to be anywhere from 40 to 100 meters deep as the land in on a slope. I don't know anything about wells but isn't 16 meters kind of pathetic? My wives dad has a well that's 40 meters deep and hasn't gone dry in decades.

 

Seems like these Isaan people didn't have the money required to make a proper well so they need to reinvest in the project and it right this time.

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

How's about moving somewhere a bit more up market?

 

Digging wells in this weather?

 

You must be out of our mind!!

 

Bob.

 

How about here?

 

[soi3eddie]

In 2019 my GF and I had a well "dug" in rural Buriram. The well diggers were a family team and they arrived with a pick-up truck with what looked like an oil well drill on the back. They set it up, performed a ceremony - with Lao Khao - Rice whiskey - and beer - and then started to dig/drill. It seemed that they drilled to about 100 metres in a few hours. Water was plentifull and flowed clear within minutes. The picture with the concrete rings is a base with the pump on top. The blue pipes are the well feed and return pipes. We were very pleased with the results. Can't remember the cost but it was not outrageous (or would not have done it).   

 

 

 

Edited May 5 by soi3eddie

[dick turpin]

Just now, NorthernRyland said:

I'm going to be making a well in the coming years and I'm told it will need to be anywhere from 40 to 100 meters deep as the land in on a slope. I don't know anything about wells but isn't 16 meters kind of pathetic? My wives dad has a well that's 40 meters deep and hasn't gone dry in decades.

 

Seems like these Isaan people didn't have the money required to make a proper well so they need to reinvest in the project and it right this time.

 

You are absolutely correct, you appear to not know anything about Wells. An Isaan-style well is hand

dug and only goes down to the depth of the ground water. At our main property we have a borehole

type well that goes down to 70 metres.......and stilll am worried it will run dry.

Edited May 5 by dick turpin

[NorthernRyland]

4 hours ago, dick turpin said:

An Isaan-style well is hand

dug

Oh so "Issan-style" is a thing? In other words it's a really crap well that only poor people would make. 

 

Why are you asking the question then if you know what a proper well is? Of course you need to get rid of your well and make something better. If you're living in a bamboo house with metal roof you should replace that too.

[dick turpin]

Just now, NorthernRyland said:

Oh so "Issan-style" is a thing? In other words it's a really crap well that only poor people would make. 

 

Why are you asking the question then if you know what a proper well is? Of course you need to get rid of your well and make something better. If you're living in a bamboo house with metal roof you should replace that too.

 

Calm down

[saintdomingo]

5 hours ago, dick turpin said:

 

You are absolutely correct, you appear to not know anything about Wells. An Isaan-style well is hand

dug and only goes down to the depth of the ground water. At our main property we have a borehole

type well that goes down to 70 metres.......and stilll am worried it will run dry.

Well he did give you a clue, "I don't know anything about wells".

[Gweiloman]

11 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I'm going to be making a well in the coming years and I'm told it will need to be anywhere from 40 to 100 meters deep as the land in on a slope. I don't know anything about wells but isn't 16 meters kind of pathetic? My wives dad has a well that's 40 meters deep and hasn't gone dry in decades.

 

Seems like these Isaan people didn't have the money required to make a proper well so they need to reinvest in the project and it right this time.

From what I know, there are primarily 2 kinds of wells. The first, more basic type is hand dug to about 8-10 metres or so. The sides are reinforced with concrete hoops. The way it works is that groundwater will seep in to fill the well. Mind you, the surface of the water will still be a good few metres below the surface of the land. The approximate cost for this is typically around Thb 10-15,000.

 

The 2nd better option is a bore well. This requires digging with a mechanical drill at the back of a truck and can go as far down as 100m or more. There isn’t a big hole dug. Instead lengths of pvc pipes are being pushed into the ground. This doesn’t depend on ground water but instead hits the actual water table. At the end of the pipe is, not sure what it’s called, well feed or something like that. It has slits cut into it for the water to flow in and then up, using a pump of course. This can cost anything from Thb 100k - 200k, depending how deep needs to go, whether rocks encountered on the way down, difficulty of terrain etc.

[dick turpin]

Just now, Gweiloman said:

From what I know, there are primarily 2 kinds of wells. The first, more basic type is hand dug to about 8-10 metres or so. The sides are reinforced with concrete hoops. The way it works is that groundwater will seep in to fill the well. Mind you, the surface of the water will still be a good few metres below the surface of the land. The approximate cost for this is typically around Thb 10-15,000.

 

The 2nd better option is a bore well. This requires digging with a mechanical drill at the back of a truck and can go as far down as 100m or more. There isn’t a big hole dug. Instead lengths of pvc pipes are being pushed into the ground. This doesn’t depend on ground water but instead hits the actual water table. At the end of the pipe is, not sure what it’s called, well feed or something like that. It has slits cut into it for the water to flow in and then up, using a pump of course. This can cost anything from Thb 100k - 200k, depending how deep needs to go, whether rocks encountered on the way down, difficulty of terrain etc.

 

Well explained. 

[petermik]

well well well well now....lets get to the bottom of this tale....😆

[WilliamSmits]

With solar pumps being installed all over the place, and water used for field flooding & rice planting, the ground water table is dropping in most places - or salt water starts coming in near the sea.

More sustainable ways of using water will help.

[youreavinalaff]

17 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I'm going to be making a well in the coming years and I'm told it will need to be anywhere from 40 to 100 meters deep as the land in on a slope. I don't know anything about wells but isn't 16 meters kind of pathetic? My wives dad has a well that's 40 meters deep and hasn't gone dry in decades.

 

Seems like these Isaan people didn't have the money required to make a proper well so they need to reinvest in the project and it right this time.

Without knowing the water table, suggesting lack of wealth as a reason is churlish.

 

In our second Isaan home we have a borehole with a pump for all household water. The bore is about 18m. It's never run dry. Even now, after all the heat and no rain, the pressure is excellent.

[youreavinalaff]

5 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

From what I know, there are primarily 2 kinds of wells. The first, more basic type is hand dug to about 8-10 metres or so. The sides are reinforced with concrete hoops. The way it works is that groundwater will seep in to fill the well. Mind you, the surface of the water will still be a good few metres below the surface of the land. The approximate cost for this is typically around Thb 10-15,000.

 

The 2nd better option is a bore well. This requires digging with a mechanical drill at the back of a truck and can go as far down as 100m or more. There isn’t a big hole dug. Instead lengths of pvc pipes are being pushed into the ground. This doesn’t depend on ground water but instead hits the actual water table. At the end of the pipe is, not sure what it’s called, well feed or something like that. It has slits cut into it for the water to flow in and then up, using a pump of course. This can cost anything from Thb 100k - 200k, depending how deep needs to go, whether rocks encountered on the way down, difficulty of terrain etc.

If you paid, or know someone who has paid, 100 to 200k for a bore, you or they have been taken for a ride.

[Gweiloman]

12 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

If you paid, or know someone who has paid, 100 to 200k for a bore, you or they have been taken for a ride.

I personally don’t know anyone who has paid that but from asking around, this seems to be the going rate. This is the Thai price, not farang price. 
 

Like I said, it depends on multiple factors such as required depth, location, terrain etc. Personally I would not pay this kind of money for a bore well.

 

I should also mention that the rough area I’m talking about is in Phrao, a rather hilly/mountainous area with lots of big rocks and boulders, and not the flat plains of Isaan.

[youreavinalaff]

Just now, Gweiloman said:

I personally don’t know anyone who has paid that but from asking around, this seems to be the going rate. This is the Thai price, not farang price. 
 

Like I said, it depends on multiple factors such as required depth, location, terrain etc. Personally I would not pay this kind of money for a bore well.

 

I should also mention that the rough area I’m talking about is in Phrao, a rather hilly/mountainous area with lots of big rocks and boulders, and not the flat plains of Isaan.

This comment should have been included in your original comment.

 

As for Thai price or Farang price. There is only a difference if the Farang allows it.

 

I believe we paid 300b a metre. Minimum of 5000b. Total, with pump and pipes was around 18000b. 18m deep.

[Gweiloman]

17 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

This comment should have been included in your original comment.

 

As for Thai price or Farang price. There is only a difference if the Farang allows it.

 

I believe we paid 300b a metre. Minimum of 5000b. Total, with pump and pipes was around 18000b. 18m 

Someone I know was quoted Thb 100,000 for a 100m deep borehole. Expected output was 2,000 litres per hour, guaranteed. He didn’t go for it though.

 

Edited May 6 by Gweiloman

[dick turpin]

2 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

From what I know, there are primarily 2 kinds of wells. The first, more basic type is hand dug to about 8-10 metres or so. The sides are reinforced with concrete hoops. The way it works is that groundwater will seep in to fill the well. Mind you, the surface of the water will still be a good few metres below the surface of the land. The approximate cost for this is typically around Thb 10-15,000.

 

The 2nd better option is a bore well. This requires digging with a mechanical drill at the back of a truck and can go as far down as 100m or more. There isn’t a big hole dug. Instead lengths of pvc pipes are being pushed into the ground. This doesn’t depend on ground water but instead hits the actual water table. At the end of the pipe is, not sure what it’s called, well feed or something like that. It has slits cut into it for the water to flow in and then up, using a pump of course. This can cost anything from Thb 100k - 200k, depending how deep needs to go, whether rocks encountered on the way down, difficulty of terrain etc.

 

Got me thinking, there must be a physical limit as to how deep you can go with

a basic hand dug well, before you are forced to go the bore hole route. 

[Gweiloman]

2 hours ago, dick turpin said:

 

Got me thinking, there must be a physical limit as to how deep you can go with

a basic hand dug well, before you are forced to go the bore hole route. 

At a guess, I would say about 15 metres, give or take a couple of metres. Attached is a picture of a recent well dug, about 9 metres deep. I asked the digger if he could go deeper but he said not really, it’s quite hard to breathe down there.

 

[dick turpin]

3 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

At a guess, I would say about 15 metres, give or take a couple of metres. Attached is a picture of a recent well dug, about 9 metres deep. I asked the digger if he could go deeper but he said not really, it’s quite hard to breathe down there.

 

 

Thanks, my thoughts exactly

[Dante99]

Hand‑dug wells can range in depth

from about five metres deep, to deep

wells over 20 metres deep. Wells

with depths of over 30 metres are

sometimes constructed to exploit

a known aquifer

[dick turpin]

Just now, Dante99 said:

Hand‑dug wells can range in depth

from about five metres deep, to deep

wells over 20 metres deep. Wells

with depths of over 30 metres are

sometimes constructed to exploit

a known aquifer

 

 

Will get my spade out and go for the 20 metres.

 

Another thought comes to mind, if going the borehole 

route could it be put down the existing well hole and

thus save a few metres of initial drilling.

 

Otherwise, might send up the cloud-seeding drone.

[Mike Lister]

6 minutes ago, dick turpin said:

 

 

Will get my spade out and go for the 20 metres.

 

Another thought comes to mind, if going the borehole 

route could it be put down the existing well hole and

thus save a few metres of initial drilling.

 

Otherwise, might send up the cloud-seeding drone.

Bore hole drillers don't lend themselves to starting on excavated land, just to save a couple of meters drilling, the equipment needs a flat surface to start. We have two wells, one at 15 meters and one at 35 meters, ths cost was 1k per meter but will likely be much more now I imagine. The chances of finding an aquifer are not great, most bores depend on collecting water for several meters of strata through seepage. Our water table in the North is still good, around 6 meters....fingers crossed.