Public Notice - Bore Security

To All Hawke’s Bay Landowners and Occupiers

Public Notice, Hawke’s Bay Today 3 September 2016

There are as many as 8000 bores across Hawke’s Bay accessing groundwater for home supply, stock water, industry, processing and irrigation. If you have a bore on your property, you have an obligation to keep it maintained and managed correctly. No-one is permitted to have a bore that leaks water into or from the bore.

Preventing cross-connection

Drilling, construction and alteration of bores requires a bore permit. You must ensure that bores are cased and sealed to prevent aquifer cross-connection and leakage from the surface into groundwater. Failure to do so may result in degradation of water quality that others depend on. Your well driller will be able to advise you.

Landowners

Bore permits are issued to allow bores to be drilled. They are not transferred when ownership changes. Regardless of this, all landowners are responsible for maintaining any bores on their property to ensure they remain cased and sealed and that there is no cross contamination.

Bore locations

You can search HBRC’s Intramaps database for information about the existence/location of bores on your property - see the consents link at the foot of this page.

Decommissioning bores

Bores that are no longer wanted must be properly decommissioned or sealed. Leaving an unwanted or leaking bore that is not consented can result in contamination and HBRC may take enforcement action to prevent this. Please check the Regional Resource Management Plan pages for specific requirements.

A securely protected well head

1. Well cap - the well cap should be securely installed and sealed between the casing and any hoses/cables going down the well.
2. Well casing - ensure that the casing is elevated above any potential flooding.
3. Concrete apron - this forms a seal between the casing and the surrounding ground. There may also be a bentonite seal around the casing, depending on the drilling method used.
4. Backflow preventer - the backflow preventer stops contaminants siphoning back into your well.
5. Area around the well - keep clear of animals, pesticides, fertilisers, compost, rubbish, vegetation, effluent.
6. Sample point - it would be useful for your well to have a sample point (that’s not the kitchen tap). Have your groundwater tested if you suspect a problem with water quality.

14 January 2020

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