Buying a place that isn't on mains water

FourHorsemen

We are looking to move to Devon, but so many of the properties that we like aren't on mains water. So what are the pitfalls and problems of boreholes, springs and artesian wells. My partner is wary as he thinks that the UV filter could break and we wouldn't be any the wiser until we got really ill. I think it could be a plus point not to have to pay the heavy bills for water that they do in the West Country. Anyone got experience of such things? Thanks MSE people.:beer:

fed_up_and_stressed

FourHorsemen wrote: »

We are looking to move to Devon, but so many of the properties that we like aren't on mains water. So what are the pitfalls and problems of boreholes, springs and artesian wells. My partner is wary as he thinks that the UV filter could break and we wouldn't be any the wiser until we got really ill. I think it could be a plus point not to have to pay the heavy bills for water that they do in the West Country. Anyone got experience of such things? Thanks MSE people.:beer:

Tell your partner that people drank from springs for centuries before UV filters were invented.

davetrousers

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

Tell your partner that people drank from springs for centuries before UV filters were invented.

People lived in caves for centuries before houses were invented.

davidmcn

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

Tell your partner that people drank from springs for centuries before UV filters were invented.

Yes, and they're all dead...

But seriously, it depends how likely the supply is to have any nasties in it. If paranoid about the UV filter breaking, check it regularly - I expect they can alarm you in some way when they need attention.

DigForVictory

Not *all* of us are dead, thank you!

The Welsh place runs off a mountain stream into a (tiny) reservoir & gets UV'ed just before it runs into the cottage. It runs off mains electricity & was the heaviest-weight domestic model they had & it's just run & run & run, no fuss no hassle.
We put it in about 4 years ago - and were happily healthy & chirpy without UV grilling for decades before, so I honestly wouldn't worry overmuch. Sure, during that amazing hot summer it went a bit brown & had Things in it, but filtered, boiled & cooled for drinking & tooth brushing & "ach onwards!" for everything else & we're all still here.

Our biggest worry is the size of the reservoir (small) & that the farm has first dibs & they run cattle who are thirsty beings. Still, we can & could always jump in the river to bathe (not for long, welsh rivers tend to be potent chilly places).

Whom you share your water supply with is more important to us than the UV!
If you can route a spring into a small reservoir (think short container dug into ground) you have some wriggle room, but you will always depend on the water table, which depends on what every other coot is up to.
Plus you may want to learn to be really finicky about depth & length of bath, how much water wash cycles take etc. A week on holiday somewhere where water is a commodity will very quickly teach you local tips & tricks to make water go a bit further, & the whole End Of The World brigade does include some shrewd engineers as well as tin foil hat wearers.
It's not a dealbreaker, but you may need to think about both water & greywater storage & usage.

G_M

Just make sure the source has been recently tested and ask for the test results.

If it has not, arrange a test before Exchanging Contracts.

Or buy a flat in a New Build block with a management company looking after all facilities in a suburban area where the roads never get snowed in and life is sterile and homogeneous.

thesaint

DigForVictory wrote: »

Not *all* of us are dead, thank you!

I can assure you that everyone that was around centuries before UV filters are (un)dead.

DigForVictory

Yes, point taken, but lack of UV treatment is not *immediately* fatal & indeed Death traditionally catches Everyone. Just at different times.

If I want to avoid being dead next year, I steer clear of motorbikes. The UV filter is more like vaccination!

FourHorsemen

Thanks for the replies. We are getting on and obviously don't want to risk getting Cryptosporidium etc. The old diseases like cholera and typhus don't seem to be such a problem nowadays, whereas E. Coli, Veils Disease etc are a possibility from springs and surface water. However, the cost of replacement UV filter, particulate filters, and regular testing by Local Authority etc may just sway it for us. Borehole water generally 'seems' to be safer overall though according to some folk we've spoken to.

PaulCooper

We have a place in Devon that isn't on mains water, it comes from a well (apparently shallower than a bore hole) The water is lovely, it makes great tea in comparison to other places we've lived in. We get it serviced---- filter media changed, UV checked etc every 9 months at a cost of around £200.
I would actually drink this water over and above the stuff that gets treated, it tastes like water, as opposed to chemicals.
I wouldn't worry about it, get it tested as others have suggested (although I have to admit we haven't) and get it serviced regularly, you won't regret it
Paul

marksoton

FourHorsemen wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. We are getting on and obviously don't want to risk getting Cryptosporidium etc. The old diseases like cholera and typhus don't seem to be such a problem nowadays, whereas E. Coli, Veils Disease etc are a possibility from springs and surface water. However, the cost of replacement UV filter, particulate filters, and regular testing by Local Authority etc may just sway it for us. Borehole water generally 'seems' to be safer overall though according to some folk we've spoken to.

To be honest the water will only ever be as good as the infrastructure used to transport it. If that's in poor condition the water quality will be too.

Bit of due diligence and i wouldn't consider it a risk.