ᐅ Wells – Technology, Systems, and Costs

After reading through this, I’m actually leaning away from the idea of having a well installed in the garden…

On the other hand, we would need to have an additional pipe installed to bring irrigation water into the garden, since the tap provided by the construction company on the terrace wall only helps us to a limited extent with our 1,085m² (11,678 sq ft) plot.

We might consider having a conduit laid under the garage to later connect garden irrigation, lawn sprinklers, etc. The structural builder asked what diameter pipe he should install for us. By default, he would install a 10cm (4 inch) diameter PVC pipe. I’m not sure if that’s sufficient. Such a pipe costs €600 directly. But it seems a well probably isn’t worth it, at least from what I’ve read here.

Today I also checked the construction specifications again. While a tap is included on the terrace, apparently this is not the case at the building front. I think we will have to order this separately, because not having water access at the front of the building would be inconvenient.

For the area, I would consider an irrigation system. It’s quite doable as a DIY project.
For us, a well costs 300€ plus a pump, and then it’s maintenance-free for years.
Honestly, I would never think of using drinking water for the garden.
A bit of electricity and the problem is solved.

I had a well drilled back when the base layer was finished (so before the foundation slab). The well is 12 m (39 feet) deep and is located essentially under the garage. I installed a submersible pump. This makes the system practically silent. On both the courtyard and street sides, there is an outdoor water tap and also empty conduits inside, which will later be used for my garden/lawn irrigation. The advantage of having the well inside the house is that it does not need frost protection during the cold season. Initially, I also wanted to supply the toilets and washing machine with this water, but I abandoned that idea due to the water quality.

Is something like this typically planned by the landscape gardener as well?

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
Does a landscape gardener plan something like that too?

It depends on the landscape gardener, but most likely not.

Cisterns are probably the new solar thermal systems when it comes to cost-effectiveness calculations.

First, I would find out what your rainwater infiltration requirements are. There might actually be synergies there. Then, I would estimate how much water you roughly need. 400m² (4300 sq ft) is not a huge area. If it’s mostly lawn, you won’t need much water. But if about 200m² (2150 sq ft) is planted with flowers or a vegetable garden, that changes things considerably.

In our municipality, exemption from wastewater charges for external taps is not possible. It doesn’t really make sense since our rainwater either infiltrates on site or drains into a stream, but the municipality has the decision authority. Here, starting this year (also in Lower Saxony), fresh water costs €2.21 and wastewater €2.26 per cubic meter. So, for about 35m³ (42 cubic yards), I’m paying roughly €160 (about $170).
If the costs really stay below €1500 (about $1600), I would personally consider a well or a cistern. However, there are certainly investments that make more financial sense or pay off sooner.
I also have quite a few plants and shrubs exposed to southern and western sun all day long. At the beginning of last July, I spent at least one hour every evening watering the garden, mostly skipping the lawn.

86bibo schrieb:
It depends on the landscaper, but most likely not.

So, does that mean it’s better to first consult a landscape architect and have the outdoor areas fully designed? Because the first thing we need to tackle is obviously the front area with the entrance and driveway....