We drill artesian boreholes for private houses and farms in Riga and the Riga region, and if the borehole is deeper than 20 m (as artesian boreholes often are), the work needs a licence from the State Environmental Service (VVD). Drilling costs from €65/m. Give your address in your request, and we will tell you at what depth artesian water was reached in the nearest boreholes.
How an artesian borehole differs from an ordinary borehole
In everyday speech an artesian borehole and a borehole often mean the same thing. In hydrogeology the difference is the aquifer: groundwater is unconfined and its level is the top of the layer itself, while artesian water is sealed between dense strata, and the pressure makes it rise up the borehole. In low-lying places the water may even flow out of the borehole by itself, and such a borehole is called free-flowing.
The dense upper stratum protects artesian water from surface influences: farming, septic tanks and rainwater. That is why the composition of artesian water is more stable year after year than that of groundwater. This does not mean the water is drinkable without treatment: deep aquifers often have a lot of iron, manganese and hardness salts, and in some places hydrogen sulphide too.
Why an artesian borehole needs a sealed design
When drilling through the upper layers, the borehole connects the groundwater with the artesian aquifer. If a gap remains between the casing pipe and the borehole wall, groundwater and pollution run down it, and the borehole spoils exactly what it is drilled for. So the outside of the pipe is sealed and the poorly permeable layers are closed off, so that water enters the borehole only through the filter.
A free-flowing borehole is fitted from the start with a valve and connection that let the flow be regulated. Leaving the water to run freely is wasteful, and it lowers the pressure in the aquifer for neighbours' boreholes too.
Building code LBN 222-15 “Water Supply Structures” (Cabinet Regulation No. 326 of 30.06.2015), point 78: the borehole design is fully sealed, water enters only through the filter; point 79: where there are several aquifers, the poorly permeable rocks are sealed off; point 83: test pumping. Source: likumi.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
Licence and documents for an artesian borehole
Without a licence you may only install a borehole up to 20 m deep from which no more than 10 m³ of water is intended to be extracted per day. If the artesian aquifer is deeper, as it often is, the drilling company applies to the State Environmental Service for the licence, attaching the borehole's designed geological and technical section and a land boundary plan with the borehole location. The state fee is €35.57, and the licence is valid for up to one year. Before issuing the licence, VVD may request a statement from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC) on the possibilities of groundwater use.
After drilling, the company prepares the borehole passport and submits it to LVĢMC; approval takes 10 working days and costs €115.34 (an LVĢMC fee, not our price). How it is prepared: borehole passport. How to use data on nearby boreholes before drilling: borehole map.
The law “On Subterranean Depths”, Section 11(1), point 2 and Section 9(1), point 4; Cabinet Regulation No. 696 of 06.09.2011 on subsoil licences, points 13, 16, 23 and 24; Cabinet Regulation No. 1055, sub-point 2.13; Cabinet Regulation No. 752, Annex point 2.1; VVD frequently asked questions (question 9). Sources: likumi.lv, vvd.gov.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
How we drill an artesian borehole
- Data and licence We look at the sections of the nearest boreholes, prepare the designed section and apply for the licence.
- Drilling through the upper strata We drill through the sand and clay layers and insert a casing pipe, which we seal in the dense layer above the aquifer.
- Opening the aquifer We drill into the artesian aquifer and insert the filter. If the aquifer is hard dolomite or sandstone, the filter section may be slotted or have no pipe at all, depending on the strength of the rock.
- Flushing and test pumping We flush the borehole, measure the static and dynamic levels and the yield, and take a water sample for an accredited laboratory.
- Equipment and passport We choose the pump based on the test pumping data, equip the borehole and prepare the passport.
How much an artesian borehole costs
Drilling an artesian borehole costs from €65/m with PVC pipes; with stainless steel pipes the price per metre is higher. The total price depends on:
- the depth to the artesian aquifer, which can be predicted from neighbours' boreholes but not named exactly;
- the layers to be drilled through: stony moraine and dolomite drill more slowly than sand;
- the pipe material and diameter;
- the valves and connection a free-flowing borehole needs;
- the licence and borehole passport approval (state and LVĢMC fees).
The pump and equipment are not included: borehole equipment costs from €500 without the pump. We explain the water test results and, if needed, offer water treatment. All prices: prices.