Under Pressure refers to the Artesian quality of the borehole on the other side of the road.
This borehole was drilled exactly 10years ago in 2002, it was the first of 27 boreholes to be drilled to supply the Koo Farmers with much needed irrigation water. At the same time it was also very controversial since it was drilled right into an artesian aquifer (a confined underground “space” under positive pressure) that was already naturally pressing through the porous sandstone ground… The drilling went ahead never the less, presenting interesting hydro-geological data.
The depth of the borehole is 142m and its artesian flow is 2.6 litres per second.
In the test pumping period of 2004/5 a total of 41’036m3 was abstracted - 188m3 per day, which is 60% of its safe yield. The water level had declined to 50m below the surface (save level was set at 90m) and after 36days the artesian flow recovered to 1 litre per second. No further extraction has been made and 10 years later the flow is back at around 2.6l/s.
The water from the little black pipe is safe to drink also taste's pretty good so feel free to have a sip or fill your bottle. The rest (the bulk flow of the water) is redirected via a pipe right under the road the other side through the reeds and into the river bed. Please do not temper with any of the levers or switches.