Groundwater heat pumps: the well pair needs a water-rights permit too.

Groundwork

Is the plot suitable for a groundwater heat pump? Yield, reinjection and protection zones decide.

The system works over the long term if the aquifer yields enough water for the heat pump’s capacity, the cooled water can be reinjected into the same aquifer without cooling the production well, and the plot is not in a wellfield protection zone or under another restriction. We answer these three questions in the pre-assessment, before the mechanical design is prepared. The procedure that applies to the well pair is summarised in our Well permitting guide.

Process

Four steps with fixed deadlines.

1. Pre-assessment, 3 working daysYield and reinjection estimate from site data, protection-zone check. Outcome: suitable, not suitable or suitable with conditions.
2. Expert opinion and well-pair design, 10 working daysWell construction, screening, well spacing and mechanical connection, coordinated with the installer.
3. Water-rights construction permitApplication, annexes, liaison with the authority and handling requests for additional information.
4. Drilling, trial operation, operating permitDrilling is done by a licensed well driller; the yield and reinjection test, the water analysis and the as-built documentation are part of the package.

Delivery package

An itemised quote with a single price.

The fee depends on the site and the heat pump’s capacity; after the pre-assessment we fix it as a single figure in an itemised quote. If there are other water users nearby, or the well pair has a larger capacity (institution, hall), we calculate the interference with a groundwater flow model, quoted separately.