Frequently Asked Questions
A bore is a means to take water from the underground aquifer and this water brought to the surface by an electric or solar pump or by a mechanical windmill.
The most common type of modern bore is made from PVC and is 100mm – 150mm diameter with an electric pump attached.
There are other types of bores and they all differ slightly in their construction and appearance.
A steel or PVC pipe 25 – 50mm diameter coming out of the ground is likely to be a spear.
A water well approx. 900mm to 1800mm diameter is also a means to extract ground water using a pump or windmill.
Water bores can be made from steel or PVC and can vary from 75mm to 350mm diameter.
Flow rates can vary from 5L/min to 50 L/s.
Cheaper than you might think! We are offering a great price using the latest, international best practice standards and equipment for a completed and cased PVC bore.
Most areas can have a bore drilled and a pump equipped for less than $2900.
Seniors and Carers discount available!*
Call us now on 1800 193 194 or use our online quote form for an obligation free quote!
*Not valid with any other offer. No other offers allowed, discount applies to standard drilling rates not to already discounted rates.
No. If you are a homeowner and intend to use the water for non-commercial purposes (yards, pool, gardens, lawns) there is no restriction drilling for water.
There are some small areas south of the river that are sensitive and it’s best to contact us so we can discuss the limited requirements in these small areas.
If you are a commercial enterprise or intend to use the water for a commercial purpose, contact us and we can advise the best contact at DNRME for your Development Permit application.
Backyard Bores and Geotech Drilling have several licensed drillers and we work to relevant government requirements.
If you are getting a quote from any driller, ask for their licence number and to see their current Queensland Driller's Licence. You can search for their name on the Qld Registered Drillers List here before you engage them to drill. If they are not listed, they are not licensed. Chances are, if they don't have a Driller's Licence, they won’t construct the bore to ensure the best long-term performance as per industry international best practices. They probably won't have public liability insurance either. If they damage anything at your property, YOU will have to foot the bill.
Use a licensed driller who has all relevant insurances, why risk it to save a couple of hundred dollars?
Drilling and casing can take 4-6 hours depending on the material being drilled and the depth.
It's a four step process:
- Drilling
- Installing casing
- Cleaning out the inside of the casing to remove damaging sands, muds and clay
- Flow rate, salt, iron, PH, testing (if required).
No, unless the location you are thinking of is in a difficult place to access or needs fence sections removed or trees cut back. Please call us on 1800 193 194 and discuss if you have any concerns.
100mm diameter casing with factory cut fine slots (0.4 - 0.5mm) is used in the majority of bores, some locations need 0.8mm. We can install 5”, 125mm casing or 80mm casing as required, surcharges may apply.
When considering a location in your yard for a bore, please take the following into account:
- How easy will it be to get the drilling rig to that location? Please see below for rig dimensions.
- How easy (and costly) will it be to get power to the pump? Please keep in mind that the pump does not need to be directly on top of the bore, it can be inside a fence, under your house, in a shed, etc.
- How easy will it be to distribute the water from the pump outlet? Do you want the pump outlet near the fence so you can run poly around your fence line to have taps every 10m or so?
Please try to locate the underground services on your property, the hardest one to find is the pipe from your house to the sewer mains.
If you have your house drainage plans (house connection plans), that would be fantastic. Also look for town water, power, storm water, down pipes, phone etc.
We will contact 1100 (Dial Before you Dig) but they only provide locations of power, major sewer and telephone at the street, not on your property.
It’s VERY IMPORTANT for you to locate these services as it is your responsibility as the landowner or their authorised representative.
Call us on 1800 193 194 if you have concerns, we can apply for the plans from council for a $85 fee.
Please clear up the area surrounding the proposed drilling site. We need about a 2m radius of cleared area.
If there are trees or stumps, branches or shrubs in the immediate area please trim or remove them.
If we need to come in through a fence panel, please make sure it's removed by the time we arrive. If we need to trim trees or remove fence panels we will have to add an hourly surcharge.
Please call us on 1800 193 194 and notify our staff if you have a fence that needs removing or the area needs trees and/or branches cut down.
Our rig is mounted on a light truck and is 2.35m wide (at the mirrors), 5.7m long and 2.7m high.
We need to reverse the truck over the top of the desired drilling location.
If you have any concerns, please call us on 1800 193 194 and we can come inspect and do some measurements.
Click here to access our online calendar but we operate 7 days a week.
Some weeks we can be fully booked with local or out-of-town projects. It’s best to check the calendar to see when we have a free block.
YES! We accept Visa and Mastercard payments or direct bank transfer.
Please call us on 1800 193 194 to discuss your options but often times YES you can.
YES! We can drill all around central Queensland and have drilled from Bowen to Marlborough and west to Moranbah.
Mobilisation fees may apply, please call us on 1800 193 194 to enquire.
No. It doesn't work for us but contact us and we can give you the numbers of several local diviners.
We do have a good knowledge of the areas around Mackay that have water and what depth a usable bore will be.