Mirrabooka & Leederville Aquifers‍

We offer both of those free. We will offer a quote once we have had time to go through a consultation with you, and in some cases view the property. This will ensure you get the most accurate quote possible. It also provides us with an opportunity to get to know you and your needs.

If the quote cannot be provided without testing your bore or system, we will discuss the costs of these services before doing anything, to ensure you are informed of any costs associated.

Depending on the depth of the drilling, the construction of the hole itself can take longer.

Generally, for the Standard Superficial Aquifer or the Perth Hills Fractures, it takes us one day to drill and construct the bore. We can arrange to get your pump installation and connection to irrigation system the next day. In all, the project takes about 2 days.

Bores into the Mirrabooka and Leederville Aquifers are a longer process, as they require a pilot bore so that a wireline log is conducted and sent to Department of Water and Environmental Regulation for their approval, before the final bore and construction can be finalised. In this case, the project takes about a week once the drilling itself commences.

An aquifer is a body of water below the ground that is made of permeable rock, soil or clay that enables water to flow through it. Aquifers are generally referred to as confined and unconfined.

• Unconfined Aquifers (eg. Superficial) are naturally able to transfer water with the environment around it, such as a river, lake or the ground surface above. These are generally closer to the surface. Due to the unconfined nature, these aquifers are readily accessed and can vary greatly in production quantity and quality.
• Confined Aquifers (eg. Mirrabooka & Leederville) are separated and contained to a ground layer and area. These can still be extremely large, however, they are naturally sealed from other aquifers and environments, generally via an impermeable layer of clay, and should not blend with other aquifers. These bodies of water can still be accessed via a bore, although it is vital that they are sealed off during the drilling. As these bodies are enclosed, they can often produce very consistent production quantity and quality, usually at higher bore drilling costs, due to the depths and construction specifications required.

It depends heavily on what you're looking to achieve with the bore and where you're drilling it.

Costing is generally worked out on a per meter basis, which will include drilling the bore, inserting the PVC casing and air developing of the bore until the water is clear of any muds. Our rates vary depending on the type of drilling, bore construction design, equipment required, size of the bore, etc.

Contact us today for a custom quote, obligation-free.

Depths can vary greatly depending on the area and target groundwater formation. As a general guideline:

• In residential and flat areas, Superficial Mud drilling is about 20 - 50 metres. We drill past the water table and into water-producing sands for better water flow and consistency throughout the year.
• In the Perth Hills and inland, Superficial Granite drilling can go anywhere within 30 - 100 metres and beyond. We are targeting a fracture in the rocks underground, and depths can vary greatly.
• For Confined Aquifers, the target area can be within the range of 60 - 300 metres, the exact depth will depend on the area the property is in.

If your area is mapped by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, you can get a guide for what depth you should expect for the superficial aquifer. The water maps aren't always correct - we'll be happy to give you insights into drilling in your are that we gather from our drilling jobs in your area.

We can give you an estimate of the expected depth for your bore. Contact us today to discuss your bore.

We recommend you contact us directly so we can provide advice specific to your situation, to ensure you are compliant with the legislation applicable to you.

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In general;

Most residential bores do not need a licence to be drilled and utilised.

If you are doing any of the following you'll most likely need a groundwater licence to take water:

• Irrigating more than 1/2 an acre (2,000 square meters)
• Using the bore for commercial activity (feedlots, agriculture, construction, etc)
• Looking to utilise a non-superficial aquifer (bores generally deeper than 60 metres)

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Another type of licence is a 26D licence to drill a borehole, which you need in case you are:

• Using the bore for commercial activity
• Looking to drill into a confined or semi-confined aquifer (bores generally deeper than 60 metres)

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The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation offers a flow guide as to whether you require a license or not.