My borehole has stopped pumping water, what could be the problem?

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Contact a reliable, suitably qualified contractor, who will start checking the obvious things like:

  1. Are all the switches in the “on” position?

  2. If yes, we will need some instrumentation in the form of a multimeter to check voltage on all appropriate terminals and an ammeter (clamp meter) to see if the pump is drawing current (Amps).

  3. If the voltage and current are normal, there is a 99% chance that the pump is running.

  4. If the Amps reading is lower than expected, it could mean the water level in the borehole has reached the pump’s suction. Switch the pump off immediately. Dry running is not recommended!

  5. If the Amps reading is at the expected values, it could mean water is being delivered but is not getting to the surface. Check that all valves are open.

  6. If all are open, listen carefully at the top of the borehole for sounds of rushing water. A sound of rushing water means the pump is working but the water is escaping/leaking out the riser-pipe before reaching the surface. See Case Study 1 below.

  7. One more thing to check. If a borehole has a non-return valve, make sure the arrow indicating flow direction is NOT pointing TOWARDS the pump. See Case Study 2 below.

Case study 1

A domestic installation had been operating for about a year after the replacement of an old pump and motor. It suddenly stopped delivering water at the surface. After performing all the checks above, it was decided to remove the pump. Removal of the pump revealed a long split in the HDPE pipe which had been in the hole for a long time. No harm done and a reasonably easy fix.

Case study 2

A borehole was not delivering water. After going through the checks 1 to 6 above and finding no problems, a ‘junior’ colleague pointed out to me that the arrow indicating flow direction on the non-return valve was pointing TOWARDS the pump!

Lesson 1: Mistakes are made by the best of us.

Lesson 2: Sometimes the root causes are so obvious, we look right past them.

Lesson 3: Referring to Lesson 2. You are never too old to learn!

For more detailed information, refer to an article submitted by John Tonkin “Why did my borehole stop delivering water?”