Dug well and borehole: the main differences
| Question | Dug well | Borehole |
|---|---|---|
| Where the water comes from | the upper groundwater layer; in the building code, wells are intended for layers down to 10 m deep | a deeper aquifer below clay or moraine |
| Water reserve | water stands in the rings and can be pumped out faster than it flows in | small; the pump takes as much as the aquifer gives, so the house needs a pressure tank |
| In a dry summer | the level drops, a shallow well can run dry | the level fluctuates less in a deeper aquifer |
| Without electricity | water can be drawn with a bucket | no water can be obtained without a pump |
| Maintenance | cleaning and disinfection every few years, sealing the joints | flushing if the water turns cloudy or there is less of it |
| Work on site | an excavator and delivery of rings, or digging by hand | a drilling rig, needs vehicle access |
| Documents | a first-group engineering structure; no licence needed up to 20 m and 10 m³ a day | a licence is needed deeper than 20 m; a borehole passport after drilling |
| Price | digging: depends on the job; cleaning from €150 | from €2,000 (~30 m); flushing from €400 |
Source: building code LBN 222-15 “Water Supply Structures” (Cabinet Regulation No. 326), points 64 and 84; the law “On Subterranean Depths”, Section 11, paragraph one, point 2; Cabinet Regulation No. 500 (General Construction Regulations), sub-points 3.1.14 and 3.1.32 of Annex 1. Available at: likumi.lv; checked 03.11.2026.
If there is already a well on the plot
An old well with cloudy or smelly water does not necessarily mean you have to drill. The cause may be sludge at the bottom, loose joints or a damaged top, and that can be fixed:
- Cloudy water or water with a smell: start with well cleaning and a test.
- The well runs dry in summer: well deepening helps if the aquifer continues deeper.
- The rings have shifted or the joints leak: well repair.
- Tests repeatedly show nitrates or bacteria even though the well has been put in order: the upper layer is polluted, and then a borehole is a justified solution.
When to choose a borehole
- Groundwater at your location is deeper than 10 m, and a well would be very deep and expensive.
- You need a lot of water: a large family, an irrigation system, a swimming pool.
- The plot is small, and there is nowhere to place a well far enough from waste water systems and barns.
- In dry summers, all the wells in the area run dry.
A deeper aquifer does not automatically mean clean water. Water utilities in the Riga region, for example in Olaine and Ogre, remove iron from artesian borehole water before supplying it. That is why a test is an essential step for a new borehole: borehole water testing.
Source: Olaines ūdens un siltums (ous.lv) and the agency Ogres komunikācijas (ogreskomunikacijas.lv) on water abstraction and iron removal stations; checked 03.11.2026.
When a dug well is enough
- The aquifer is shallow and productive, and the neighbours' wells do not run dry in a dry summer.
- A water reserve and the option of drawing water without electricity matter to you.
- A country house or summer house with moderate consumption.
- The well can be placed higher up the slope and upstream of the septic tank and the barn in terms of groundwater flow.
With your own well, you as the owner are responsible for the water quality, so the well needs a tight-fitting cover, sealed upper joints and laboratory testing. How to protect the well: protection zone around a well.
What to do if you are unsure
- Inspection We measure the depth and the water level of the existing well and inspect the rings, the joints and the top.
- Test We take a water sample and deliver it to an accredited laboratory. The result shows whether the problem is the condition of the well or the layer itself.
- Decision If the fault is in the well, it is cleaned, deepened or repaired. If the fault is in the layer or there is not enough water, we recommend a borehole and tell you the expected depth.
- The old well After the borehole is made, the well can be kept for watering or safely filled in; a borehole that is no longer used needs decommissioning (plugging).
How much a well and a borehole cost
There is no single price for digging a well: it depends on the depth to the aquifer, the soil, the number and type of rings and access for machinery, so we price it after hearing the situation. Cleaning an existing well with disinfection costs from €150, deepening or repair from €150.
Borehole drilling costs from €65/m, and a typical ~30 m borehole from €2,000 without the pump and the pipe run. More details: well digging, boreholes and prices.
Sources
- LBN 222-15: dug wells (point 64), mainly for layers down to 10 m (point 84) checked 3 November 2026
- No licence is needed for dug wells and boreholes up to 20 m and 10 m³ a day checked 3 November 2026
- Cabinet Regulation No. 500: water abstraction wells and boreholes are first-group engineering structures checked 3 November 2026
- Cabinet Regulation No. 696, point 21: conservation or decommissioning of an unused borehole checked 3 November 2026
- Olaine: artesian boreholes 185–220 m, iron removal, manganese removal checked 3 November 2026
- Ogre: artesian boreholes and an iron removal station checked 3 November 2026
- Rīgas ūdens: with your own well, the owner is responsible for the water quality checked 3 November 2026