Old, worn or poorly constructed boreholes often need maintenance. This is because the maintenance is to repair the defects caused by the passage of time or inadequate insulation, which also pose a health risk: if the water in a borehole is allowed to mix with the surrounding substances due to poor or inadequate insulation, strange side flavours and odours can be released into the water, which in the worst case can also pose a health risk to the inhabitants.

How often should boreholes be serviced?

In order to draw up a well rehabilitation plan, it is first necessary to map the data relating to the well, which will also largely determine the extent of the maintenance to be carried out. For example, the age of the borehole, its depth and diameter, and the structure of the top (or casing) of the well.

During the survey, the expert will usually also carry out a water analysis of the water to determine how urgent and thorough future borehole maintenance should be. A remediation survey is often a free service provided by borehole maintenance companies to their customers. After the rehabilitation survey, the expert who has carried out the survey will make the customer an offer for the rehabilitation or maintenance of the borehole.

It is also worth monitoring the well regularly, at least once a year. In turn, it is a good idea to have a water sample taken for the well water every few years. In most cases, it can be said that a borehole requires maintenance when it has not been used for a long period of time, when the well water changes colour and/or starts to smell, when the water runs poorly and/or when other debris or sediment is carried along.

How much does it cost to maintain a borehole?

The cost of borehole maintenance depends on a number of factors:

• Depth of the well
• Location of the borehole
• What other maintenance is required (e.g. protecting the top of the well, disinfecting the well and water pipe, or replacing the pump and pressure tank)

Depending on the factors mentioned above, the cost of borehole maintenance ranges from around €400 to €200. The price also takes into account the depth and diameter of the borehole. Depending on the depth of the borehole, prices can vary considerably, as in Finland the depth of these wells can vary from a few metres to several hundred metres.

In other words, the more maintenance a borehole requires, the deeper it is and the longer it takes to maintain, the higher the price will go up. For this reason, it is important to take a look at your own borehole from time to time and to have water analyses carried out every few years, so that you know in good time if your borehole needs maintenance. This way, the price is often right.

For this reason, basic maintenance of a borehole will always be cheaper than maintenance with other measures. In Finland, it is common practice to remove the pump from the well before servicing. If there is reason to suspect that the well is in poor condition (e.g. if it has not been used for a long time or if it has been neglected in the past), the well can also be inspected from the inside, if possible. These measures will of course increase the cost of maintenance, but it is also worth bearing in mind that thorough maintenance of a borehole is worthwhile, as poor quality water can even cause serious health problems for residents in the long term.

The maintenance and repair of a borehole is covered by the household allowance, i.e. the costs incurred can be deducted from tax. More information on the household deduction and how to claim it can be found on the Tax Office's website.