‘We had to drill to 500ft for water' - Tipperary farmer

A farmer in the Devil’s Bit area of Co Tipperary had to drill to 500ft for a new water source after his well dried up during the summer drought, amid increasing reports of private wells drying up on farms.

“The spring we had was starting to fail but the drought brought it on all the quicker,” the farmer – who wished to remain anonymous – said.

With over 140 beef cattle to provide water for, he immediately got a water diviner to source a new spring.

“It took the drilling company four days and there was a white fog of smoke rising for days. I was getting worried. They had enough rods on the lorry to do 420ft and they were going to rise out after that.

“We were just lucky we met water at that stage and they kept going then to 500ft. There’s a good spring there and we’re getting 450 gallons an hour.”

According to the farmer, the drilling company had been busy in the region as a number of wells in the area had dried up.

Irish Water told the Irish Farmers Journal that they had received just three official requests for water advice from farmers, from Waterford, Kilkenny and Wicklow.

However, wells are traditionally known to be most at risk of drying out in September.

Irish Water has issued a water conservation order for certain counties in the east and south of the country until 30 September and stated: “… borehole and river levels remain historically low and we must provide for potentially dry weather during September”.