BOREHOLE DRILLING
10,000+ Boreholes in Cornwall
Up to 80% Water Bill Saving
40m - 120m: Typical Depth of a Cornish Borehole
Free Site Consultations
Why Choose a Borehole?
Your Own Private Water Supply - Independent, Clean & Cost-Effective
There are over 10,000 registered boreholes supplying private water across Cornwall. For rural homes, farms, holiday lets, and commercial premises, a borehole is often the most practical, cost-effective and sustainable water solution available.
Cornwall's South West Water bills are among the highest in England. With no mains meter on a borehole supply, you pay only for the electricity to run your pump and maintenance on your filtration equipment. This is typically a few hundred pounds a year compared to mains water bills that can run to thousands. Most domestic boreholes pay for themselves within five to ten years then deliver low cost water for decades.
Beyond cost, a private borehole supply gives you complete independence from mains water infrastructure. No hosepipe bans, no supply interruptions, no restrictions during drought periods. Your water on your terms and naturally filtered through Cornwall's granite geology.
Cube Water provides a complete borehole service across Cornwall: from the first site visit and hydrogeological assessment, drilling, casing, pump installation, water testing and treatment system design, right through to commissioning, handover, and ongoing maintenance. One team, one point of contact, start to finish.
💧 Eliminate or Dramatically Reduce Water Bills
No mains meter means no volumetric charges. Most properties save 70–80% on water costs, with the borehole typically paying for itself within 5–10 years.
Private water supplies are unaffected by South West Water's drought restrictions. Water plants, irrigate crops, fill livestock troughs and top up swimming pools freely, year-round.
Borehole water contains no chlorine, no fluoride and none of the treatment chemicals added to mains supplies. Just naturally filtered groundwater, treated to drinking standard.
A properly installed and compliant private water supply is a genuine asset. Rural Cornish properties with boreholes are increasingly sought after by buyers seeking independence from mains infrastructure.
A well-constructed and properly maintained borehole can supply water reliably for 50 years or more. Cube Water builds every installation to last.
🚫 No Hosepipe Bans or Supply Restrictions
🧪 No Added Chemicals
🏡 Adds Value to Your Property
Cornwall's Geology & Groundwater
Why Cornwall's Granite Makes Borehole Water Special
Cornwall sits on one of Britain's most distinctive geological formations known as the Cornubian Batholith, a vast mass of granite that stretches from Land's End to Dartmoor. This granite, combined with Cornwall's high annual rainfall, creates excellent conditions for groundwater borehole supplies.
Unlike sedimentary aquifers where water is held in porous rock, Cornish groundwater accumulates in natural fractures and fissures within the granite. Finding these productive fracture zones is what separates a successful borehole from an unsuccessful one and it's why the site assessment and hydrogeological knowledge of your drilling contractor matters enormously.
Typical Cornish boreholes need to reach 40 to 120 metres depth, with some hard-granite sites requiring more, to reliably intersect productive water-bearing fractures. Yields from Cornwall's granite aquifer typically range from 30 to 50 cubic metres per day - more than adequate for domestic, agricultural and many commercial uses.
Cube Water's team has extensive local knowledge of Cornwall's groundwater patterns, built from drilling across the county from the West Penwith and the Lizard Peninsula to Bodmin Moor, Launcestin and into West Devon giving you a realistic assessment of what to expect from your specific site before any drilling begins.
CUBE WATER'S DRILLING PROCESS
How we work
Cube Water manages every stage of your borehole project from the first call to your first glass of clean borehole water. Here's what to expect:
Step 1 - Free Site Survey & Consultation
We visit your site, assess ground conditions, review local geological data and discuss your water requirements. We give you an honest assessment of borehole viability, expected depth, likely yield and a detailed quotation for the first stage all at no charge.
Step 2 - Permissions & Environment Agency Registration
For most domestic supplies, formal planning permission is not required. We guide you through any Environment Agency notification requirements and handle the paperwork — ensuring your borehole is fully legal and compliant from day one.
Step 3 - Borehole Drilling & Casing
Our drilling rigs mobilise to site and drill to the target depth. Casing is installed through the surface layers and sealed to prevent contaminated surface water from entering the borehole. Slotted casing in the productive zones allows groundwater to flow in while keeping sediment out.
Step 4 - Borehole Development & Yield Testing
Once drilled, the borehole is developed to clear drilling debris from the fractures and maximise water flow. We carry out a test pump to establish the sustainable yield confirming the borehole will reliably meet your demand before installation proceeds.
Step 5 - Water Testing & Treatment Design
Water samples are sent to a UKAS-accredited laboratory for full chemical and microbiological analysis. Results are compared against UK drinking water standards and we design a bespoke treatment system. Typical treatments include sediment filters, iron removal, UV sterilisation, softeners, all tailored to your water chemistry.
Step 6 - Pump, Storage & Filtration Installation
We install your submersible borehole pump, pressure vessel, break tank and the complete water treatment system. All electrical controls, pipework and connections are installed by our own engineers.
Step 7 - Connection to Property & Commissioning
MDPE pipework is run to your property and connected to the internal plumbing. The whole system is commissioned, a final water quality sample is taken and we walk you through how everything works. Full handover information is provided.
Step 8 - Ongoing Maintenance & Support
Your borehole and water treatment system need regular servicing to stay safe, efficient and compliant. Cube Water offers scheduled maintenance contracts and emergency callout services across Cornwall giving you complete peace of mind year after year.
Phone
01872 301808