Our recent office move (blog posting coming soon) gave us an excuse to dig through various old documents that haven’t seen daylight for several years. Amongst various bits of old paperwork and memorabilia we were lucky enough to stumble across a Farming in Yorkshire Magazine from 1995 where we were given a 4 page spread to talk about droughts, boreholes and how our range of services could help farmers run a more profitable business.
The article, which has been typed up below should you want to read it, was written just after the Summer of ’95 where severe droughts had effected farmers up and down the country and consequently seen an increase of enquiries for us at the time. It then goes onto discuss why droughts weren’t the main reason for getting a borehole drilled; in fact it was more about simple economics and a cost saving point of view which is still very much the case in 2014.
Since 1995 the groundwater industry has changed significantly with the introduction of new regulations and new technologies; and whilst much of our equipment and internal processes have changed one thing has stayed constant throughout and that’s our personal approach to installing borehole water supplies. Our goal since we started up in 1979 has been to ensure we provide a cost effective and long lasting borehole design that allows our customers to have a more viable and reliable source of water for their business no matter what it’s intended use.
The full article starts under the heading below along with the snapshot image above and below where you can see Director, Eric Dalton, working on a pumping system on the Ripley Estate and also some of our drilling rigs working at Ilkley golf club. Finally you can also download the full .PDF copy at the end of the article should you want to.
Cry Freedom with a Borehole, Farming in Yorkshire Autumn 1995
The mention of drought this summer has raised many people’s emotions to fever pitch. For arable farmers the chronic water shortage has had a direct effect on crops – their quality and yield – and for livestock farmers it has been essential to ensure a constant supply.
For Dales Water Services one of the country’s leading borehole drillers and supplier of water treatment equipment based in Witherick Lane, Melmerby near Ripon, the long hot summer has brought numerous enquiries about their services.
But managing Director Chris Dodds said that although the company was only too willing to help farmers find a source of water during such arid conditions the desperate plight of people with dried up springs or wells played only a small part in their business.
Benefit
The real benefit to farmers willing to commit capital to such a project was based on profitable commercial practice.
“The reason we do most of our work in the farming industry is that when they are taking mains water from Yorkshire water they are paying 62p a cubic metre so if they are a large water user and most farms tend to fall into that category they will recoup the capital cost of installation very quickly, especially at those prices.”
This straight forward financial equation has been paying dividends for people since Dales Water was set up Chris and his partner Eric Dalton 15 years ago and 1995 has proved a bumper year for the company with a record number of orders in the book. Such has been the recent success of the company with the annual turnover now topping the £1m mark that a major investment has been made in a new drilling rig which has been ordered from Howdens on the Clyde in Glasgow which will have a capacity to drill to 2,500ft. Chris said:
“We are constantly investing in new machinery and plan to achieve even greater capacity and this latest investment, which is considerable, will substantially boost the rate at which we can construct boreholes which help to ease our heavy workload. At the moment we have 48 boreholes to start but, of course, we have all the servicing and maintenance work to carry out on previous installations and modifications to systems that does not include the construction of a new borehole.”
Farmers Drill for the Higher Profits Not for the Drought
Having received an initial inquiry from someone who thinks they may benefit from an independent water supply a personal visit is arranged and an independent system design to suit individual requirements and which incorporates as much as possible of the present distribution system to ensure a highly cost effective system. The design is composed with reference to the published geology of the area through the British Geological Survey to specify the likely depth required for a particular borehole.
It is clear that once the capital costs have been recouped margins and profitability will be greatly improved because they are not paying Yorkshire Water 62 pence a cubic metre.
– Chris Dodds
In most cases it will be necessary to obtain planning to drill and test. In addition it is necessary to obtain a licence from the National River Authority (NRA) to abstract the water for use on the farm.
Furthermore Dales Water can also specify what water treatment is required if for whatever reason the water obtained from the borehole is not suitable for a particular application or, indeed, for human consumption.
The rock strata and the amount of water required combine to determine the depth and diameter of the borehole and the amount of casing required to make it stable and to seal it from any surface pollution. Chris also stated:
“There have been times when we have had to recommend to clients not to consider the job because there is no reasonable structure below the surface although they are few and far between.”
Chris is confident that some farmers could recoup their capital outlay on a borehole within a year but believed the majority would certainly achieve it in a three-year period. He said the average cost of a borehole for a typical dairy farm would be around £7,000 but with most paying an average of £600-£700 on their quarterly water bill it was clear how quickly the capital cost would be recouped.
In recent years a major bonus for the company had been the interest in borehole irrigation systems for it gave farmers total independence from the NRA which could in severe drought conditions had the power to stop abstraction from river and streams.
“Provided farmers stay within the requirements of their licence they are not bound by things like drought orders from the local water company.”
Dales Water covers an area from the Scottish Borders down to the Midlands and from coast to coast although they have worked as far afield as Guernsey. With a staff of 15, all specifically trained by the company, all the work is carried out on a personal basis and a full back-up and maintenance service is offered.
Ironically Dales Water carries out a lot of refurbishment work and pump maintenance for Yorkshire Water. But as Chris says:
“They are under pressure to provide a supply so in a sense we are taking some of the pressureoff them by providing people with an independent supply. The drought has concentrated people’s minds but most of our work is essentially cost driven rather than through lack of water. Many farmers are not aware of the opportunities and cost benefits. It is clear that once the capital costs have been recouped margins and profitability will be greatly improved because they are not paying Yorkshire Water 62 a cubic metre.”
Dales Water is not limited in its applications and has installed systems for a wide variety of industries including textiles and brewing and in a Bradford mosque where the monthly bill was running at £1,000.
You can also download a PDF copy of the article here with the 4 pages of content and various related adverts that were featured in the magazine at the time.
If you’re a farmer looking to install a borehole or learn more about how it could help your business, or even a new farming magazine looking to run an updated feature on borehole water supplies please don’t hesitate to get in touch either via our contact form or on 01765 640 646.
