We first find out where the damage is, and only then offer a solution, because some boreholes can be repaired, but sometimes a new one is cheaper. In your request, describe what is happening with the water, how old the borehole is and whether there is a borehole passport.
The most common borehole faults
| Fault | What you notice | How it is fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck pump | The pump cannot be lifted, the rope or delivery pipe breaks | Lifted out with fishing tools; if that fails, the borehole is decommissioned (plugged) and a new one drilled |
| Broken or separated casing pipe | Sand or clay in the water, the borehole depth has decreased | A smaller-diameter liner pipe with a filter is inserted into the casing |
| Torn filter | Sand still comes through after flushing | An insert filter in the filter interval |
| Leaky borehole head or caisson | Water cloudy after rain or snowmelt, bacteria in the water test | Replacing the head, sealing the top of the pipe, repairing the caisson |
| Rusted-through steel pipe | Reddish-brown water, rust flakes | A PVC liner pipe or a new borehole |
If the fault is in the pump, cable, pressure switch or pressure tank, that is not a borehole repair, and then borehole pump replacement helps. If less water comes but the borehole is intact, borehole cleaning is usually enough.
How we find the fault
- Passport data We look at the borehole passport, if there is one: depth, pipe material and diameter, filter position and original yield. If there is no passport, we obtain this data by measuring.
- Measurements We measure the static water level and the borehole depth. If the bottom is higher than the passport says, sand has collapsed into the borehole or the pipe has caved in.
- Lifting and inspection We lift the pump and delivery pipe and look for sand, rust or scratches on them, which show where the pump has rubbed against the pipe.
- Camera inspection If the location of the damage is unclear, we lower a video camera into the borehole, which shows cracks, separated joints and an overgrown filter.
- Solution and price After the inspection we tell you whether a repair is possible, what it will achieve and what it will cost compared with a new borehole.
Pump stuck in a borehole
A pump gets stuck if sand has settled above it, if the cable has kinked between the pump and the pipe, or if the old pump hung on a rusted rope that has broken. It must not be yanked out by force: a broken delivery pipe or cable falls down and blocks the borehole even more. We free the pump by flushing and with fishing tools, and only then lift it up.
If the pump cannot be lifted, the borehole is no longer usable. Then a new one is drilled next to it, and the old one is decommissioned so it does not become a path for pollution to the aquifer: borehole decommissioning.
Repair or a new borehole
A liner pipe reduces the borehole's inner diameter. If the original borehole is narrow, a 4-inch pump will no longer fit, and a 3-inch pump with lower output has to be chosen. If the pipe is damaged in several places or the borehole has been producing sand for years, it pays to drill a new one. Drilling a new borehole costs from €65/m: borehole drilling.
A repair is usually worth it if the borehole is wide enough, the damage is in one place and the aquifer still gives water. Then you keep the existing borehole, the passport and the spot where the house water pipe is already connected.
Does a repair need documents
Restoring an existing borehole needs no documents from the municipal building authority (būvvalde): the regulations do not require them for restoring a first-group engineering structure. If the borehole is deeper than 20 m, work in the borehole may need a licence from the State Environmental Service (VVD). The state fee for a licence for creating, repairing, equipping and decommissioning boreholes is €35.57, and it is arranged by the company doing the work.
If the repair changes the borehole design (a liner pipe, a new filter), it is worth recording the changes with the borehole passport, so the next technician knows what they are working with. What the passport contains: borehole passport.
Cabinet Regulation No. 253 of 09.05.2017 (engineering structures) “Construction Regulations for Certain Engineering Structures”, sub-point 6.3.3 (no construction intention documentation is needed to restore a first-group engineering structure); Cabinet Regulation No. 1055 of 19.12.2006, sub-point 2.13 (€35.57); the law “On Subterranean Depths”, Section 11(1), point 2. Sources: likumi.lv, checked 03.11.2026.
How much borehole repair costs
There is no single price for a repair, because the work can be anything from sealing the head to lifting a stuck pump from a great depth. The price depends on:
- the type of damage and the depth it is at;
- whether the pump and delivery pipe can be lifted in the usual way;
- whether a video camera inspection is needed;
- the length and material of the liner pipe or filter;
- whether the pump has to be replaced or the borehole cleaned along with the repair.
Some jobs have a published starting price: borehole cleaning from €400, submersible pump installation from €200 excluding the pump price. We name the rest of the price after the inspection, before the work. All prices: prices.