How to Test Your Borehole Pump Water Quality and Why It Matters

How to Test Your Borehole Pump Water Quality and Why It Matters

A borehole pump is a type of submersible pump that is put into a drilled hole in the ground to extract water, which can then be used in homes and businesses for drinking, washing, cooking, and bathing, without the need of a mains water supply, saving the owner money. However, water coming straight from underground may not be potable, due to bacteria, debris, or the type of earth the borehole is drilled into. Let’s look at why you should test your water before you drink it from a borehole below.

Can borehole water be used for drinking?

Drinking untested and untreated borehole water can lead to drinking water with a foul smell, a bad taste, or in the worst-case scenario, cause health concerns. If you are living or working in a property with a private water supply, testing should be carried out on a regular basis, with best practice being annually.

Regular water testing will help to make sure that the steps you are taking to treat your water are having the desired effect and that any unwanted contaminants are maintained within the safe limits set out by the Government.

Why should I get my private water supply tested?  

The Private Water Supplies Regulations, set by the UK Government, state that you must have your private water supply from a borehole checked to ensure it is consistent with drinking water standards. It’s not only drinking water from a borehole that needs to be tested. If the water from a borehole is being used for crops and livestock, it should be tested. 

Borehole water should always be tested before consumption, because whilst contaminated water can be visible through colour, taste or smell, some dangerous bacterial and chemical impurities can go undetected without a test. If the water tested from the borehole needs attention, we can recommend remedial treatment based on the water test findings, which could include sediment filtration, UV sterilisation for disinfection, iron or manganese removal or nitrate reduction. 

But what happens if you don’t test and treat your water? 

Can borehole water make you sick?  

Tested and correctly treated borehole water is safe to drink and will not make you sick. However, there are many salts, metals and organic chemicals found in groundwater from the surrounding rock and earth, which can be harmless in small amounts, however, if these are in high concentrations, they can make the water taste bad, or be harmful for consumption.  

Bacteria and viruses may be present in the water, which can cause the transmission of infectious waterborne diseases such as gastro-enteritis and cholera. These are microbial, so even if the water doesn’t look, smell, or taste bad, it may contain dissolved substances or disease-causing organisms that are harmful when drunk. They can be tasteless and odourless, and only identified through testing a sample of the water. 

What should I be testing my borehole water for?  

A borehole water sample would test for the total viable count (TVC) which estimates the number of microorganisms in the water from the borehole.  

These microorganisms and bacteria could include Legionella, E. coli, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, aluminium, iron, copper, and manganese to name a few.  

Can borehole water be used for irrigation? 

A submersible borehole pump can be used to supply an irrigation system to maintain the perfect water source for food crops throughout the year. Even though the water is not being consumed directly, it needs to be tested to ensure maximum crop yield, and so that toxicity issues will not develop. If the PH of the water isn’t right it can affect crop growth levels, as well as other issues, for example, too much sodium and magnesium can affect absorption rates and fertiliser efficiency.  

If you are interested in your own private water supply and plan to get a borehole pump installation, or require water testing, our technical sales team are here to help you. We have a wide range of borehole pumps, as well as our own private water supply testing service.  

We will send you a water sampling kit with instructions, then arrange for a courier to pick them up on the same day. Your samples will be brought to our laboratory where we will conduct our tests. We then provide you with a full detailed report of the results with bespoke recommendations for any water treatment required. Our experts can explain the results and what they mean for you and the safety of your private water supply. Contact us on 01777 279781.