Well Ran Dry After Neighbour Dug Nearby, Deeper Well

[simon43]

The title says it all. One of my small hotels in Phuket relies on a 6-metre deep well that I dug to supply water for the showers/toilets. (There is no piped city water by the airport)

My next door neighbour has just dug a 12-metre well on his land, about 4 metres away from my well. Not surprisingly, my well is now dry. I had to install a holding tank and purchase water on a daily basis.

What's to be done? If I increase my well depth to 13 metres, will I get my water back? Perhaps we will dig deeper tit-for-tat, until one of us reaches Lima, Peru?

The obvious solution would be to share a well, but that is a non-starter since my neighbour is still smarting after I passed over leasing his land to build my hotel on, in favour of the neighbouring and much cheaper land plot.

Simon

[davejones]

Dig the well so that it's the same depth as his, and then you should both have water. I would also at least suggest sharing a well. He might say yes.

[jamhar]

If he says no, dig a well, well away from his (pun intended).

Given that he deliverately dug a well right next to yours,

suggest to me that he intended to do what he did... dry you up when he had the opportunity.

Still talking to him couldnt hurt. you know what they say.

keep your friends close,

your neighbor that dried up your well, closer.

Talking may help stop him from doing other things.

Edited March 4, 2013 by jamhar

[MegaRanter]

tunnel from yours into his. Subterranean land grab.

[rekkie]

How deep do you go for water is not an easy one. The water at the depths you are talking about is probably very poor quality and very liable to running dry. I have some experience of wells and 40+ meteres seems to get good quality drinkable water...though get it tested at a local hospital....less than 20 meteres the water quality and long term viability is likely to be a problem

[LennyW]

How deep do you go for water is not an easy one. The water at the depths you are talking about is probably very poor quality and very liable to running dry. I have some experience of wells and 40+ meteres seems to get good quality drinkable water...though get it tested at a local hospital....less than 20 meteres the water quality and long term viability is likely to be a problem

I would agree with this, shallow wells are always problematic and prone to running dry as well as contamination from ground water run off, any ones i have done have always been 40m+ also, not as if it is expensive!

Drill deeper, much deeper.

[RKASA]

6m? 13? like has been said - a reliable well is 40m - mine is 44 and the pump hangs at the 40m level. Never a problem and there are four other wells near by - even in mid April we have lots of good water. dig dig dig.

[rfukata]

How deep do you go for water is not an easy one. The water at the depths you are talking about is probably very poor quality and very liable to running dry. I have some experience of wells and 40+ meteres seems to get good quality drinkable water...though get it tested at a local hospital....less than 20 meteres the water quality and long term viability is likely to be a problem

I would agree with this, shallow wells are always problematic and prone to running dry as well as contamination from ground water run off, any ones i have done have always been 40m+ also, not as if it is expensive!

Drill deeper, much deeper.

agree, my well is 39meters deep and good clear running water.

[simon43]

I think some of you may be confusing a shallow well with a bore hole. I've always used shallow wells in Phuket at my hotels, ranging from 6 - 12 metres in depth and 2 metres diameter. These have never run dry and it's only this recent issue that has caused my post.

A bore hole indeed would be the best answer, but the cost I've been quoted for a 'deep' bore well of about 4 inches diameter and maybe 40 metres in depth is typically 100,000 baht, including the pump.

Perhaps someone in Phuket who has had a bore hole installed can give me an idea of the cost and contact details of the installer.

Thanks

Simon

Edited March 6, 2013 by simon43