John Gilbert

Has anyone any experience of getting a new (non mains) water supply installed?

anonimouse

Yes My friends do it, but they don't drink it, they have a large pump Like the ones in Tescos or Praktika taking it into the house.

They buy bottled water.

Rural Hungary

Hmmm now are you sure it's not that there Hungarian black gold you be after John

Assuming, but I could be wrong, that you mean drilling a borehole? If so, I can't help as we tried to find out locally with no luck. The best advise we were given was by a neighbour who told us to start digging as it wouldn't be long before we hit the water table - suppose it would have done for watering the garden though not quite the fresh, clean underground stream I was thinking of.
We were also advised that every village property originally had a well but some had been filled in and to look on our plans as they are all marked. Looked and all the neighbours wells are marked but none on our property. If I find anything out I'll let you know.

John Gilbert

In our village house we have a disused well which straddles the boundary with our neighbour. We have yet to test it.

Since the main drains were put in our village, which was great, the water bill has doubled (on the basis that the company now handles it on the way in & on the way out!)

We therefore need to explore cheaper water for the garden. The well needs reviving!

As our village house has a very small garden we recently bought a small weekend house on the hill with grapes, fruit trees & land for a veg patch within walking distance of the village. Sadly it doesn't have a water supply. There are firms who will do bore holes but it isn't cheap. Maybe we will just collect the rainwater from the roof of the old building.

Rural Hungary

Hi John, until I saw a friends bill , I didn't realise you were charged on the "what goes in must come out" basis as we have a septic tank and reed bed system. Is the waste metered in anyway as surely you aren't expected to pay waste charges for watering your garden or filling a pool? Would love to know as I pondered this on seeing the aforementioned friends bill.
Your weekend home sounds adorable! Would agree that the best way would be to collect the rainwater though if we have a dry summer and you are dependant on it for watering, would it be enough? Have you spoken with neighbouring houses as they will be the best ones to advise you.

Good luck

John Gilbert

Hi Rural,

Yes the new bill system for water / sewage is expensive. I understand from Hungarian friends that you can ask the water company for a second water meter to be installed for garden watering but we haven't looked into it in detail yet. The extra water meter installation is doubtless a chargeable event!

On the hill, the neighbours, such as there are, seem to have good old fashioned water wells. The price of boring down for water has doubled over the last 5 years we are told but I suppose that is pretty reasonable.

Some things in Hungary seem cheap & then you run into unexpected costs you would never encounter in the UK. Still I shan't complain as overall the costs are still very reasonable & the life style & environment great. The view from the weekend house is just breathtaking.

For the moment rain water will do.

All the best

fidobsa

It sounds like those grey water storage systems for flushing loos etc would be useful in Hungary. I remember in the hot summer of 1976 my mother insisted we leave the plug in after having a bath so she could bale out the water to put on the parched garden.

anonimouse

Yes considering there are wells in almost every home, water is quite expensive in Hungary, I am told it's about 1000ft per cubic metre. A bath can be quite expensive

John Gilbert

Great celebrations here as water found at 66 meters down for Hill House at Lesenceistvand (Hegyen)

I would recommend

http://www.szaharakft.hu

They are not cheap but they do what they promise & get results. I think only Hungarian is spoken so a friend might be needed for translation. Their web site has an English version. They came recommended & we were not disappointed.

Rural Hungary

Congratulations John, hoping they're wine grapes