Wasn't sure where to put this so please move if necessary - and sorry if in wrong place!
Hi there - we are applying for a tenanted farm and have found out that the water is metered which is a potential black-hole of money as we wish to do livestock. We discussed the idea of sinking a borehole with the land agent and he advised us to investigate the possibilities and include in our application. The current tenants are unwilling to share water usage and costs with us.
So - now we don't know where to start!! Can anyone advise me:
1. Who I should talk to about the logistics and possibility of sinking a borehole on the land and if this would be viable - would this be the local water board?
2. Who would we get to carry out the work? Would it be a private contractor or the water board? And would we need planning permission or any other sort of permission?
3. Any ideas of cost - or is that akin to saying how long is a piece of string?
4. What are the shortfalls of using a borehole for a water supply.
Additionally there is a slurry pit - the farm is currently a dairy farm although we would not be running it as a dairy farm. There is an open air slurry pit which appears to be concrete with a black liner. This seems to be on the highest point of the land.
1. Is a slurry pit only necessary for cows?
2. What exactly goes in there - all the waste from the cows? Or just liquid waste?
3. How on earth do you get the waste from the farmyard across a 3 acre field to the higher level slurry pit through 3 gates?!!!
Sorry if I sound totally ignorant but we really need to get this information and show understanding of the issues and possibilities as part of our plan.
Thank you - Donna