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Nicholls
Nicholls Water drilling rig with transport
227+ projects in West Sussex

Water Boreholes & Ground Source Heat Pumps in West Sussex

Over 227 projects completed across West Sussex. Free site assessments and no-obligation estimates.

West Sussex is our home county — our offices at Brownings Barn in Kirdford are right in the heart of it. With over 227 completed projects across the county, from Chichester to Horsham, Petworth to Haywards Heath, we have unrivalled local knowledge of the geology, water quality and ground conditions across every part of West Sussex.

Services available in West Sussex

Full range of water, ground source and licensing services — delivered by our in-house team.

Water Boreholes

Private water supply for homes, farms and estates across West Sussex.

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Ground Source Heat Pumps

Closed-loop, open-loop and river source GSHP systems. MCS certified.

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Deep Bore Soakaways

Drainage solutions where traditional soakaways won't work.

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Servicing & Maintenance

Ongoing support for the lifetime of your system.

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Water Licensing

EA abstraction and discharge licence applications.

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Water as a Service

Managed borehole supply for high-volume users.

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Local geology in West Sussex

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Much of southern West Sussex sits above the chalk aquifer — one of the most productive groundwater sources in England. Boreholes in the Chichester and Arundel areas typically reach productive water between 30m and 80m depth. The Wealden Clay belt around Billingshurst, Kirdford and Horsham requires deeper drilling into the underlying sandstone, and water from this geology often requires iron and manganese treatment before use. The Lower Greensand around Pulborough and Storrington offers good yields at moderate depth.

Every site is different. A desk-based geological assessment is always the starting point for any project.

Our projects in West Sussex

4,000+ boreholes drilled across the UK

Our interactive project map loads when it's ready. In the meantime, here's where we've been working — across West Sussex (227 projects), Surrey (196), Hampshire (111), East Sussex (87), Kent (70) and across the wider South of England, including Wiltshire and Dorset.

Water boreholes · Ground source heat pumps · Deep bore soakaways · Over 1,500 completed projects since 2003.

Case studies in West Sussex

A selection of projects we've completed across West Sussex.

Solar Powered Water Borehole on the South Downs
Water BoreholeAgricultural

Solar Powered Water Borehole on the South Downs

Nicholls designed, supplied and installed a 176 metre water borehole system for a livestock farm situated in an isolated position on the top of the South Downs. Due to the lack of electrical supply...

GSHP for New Extension to Flint Barn, West Sussex
Closed-loop GSHPResidential

GSHP for New Extension to Flint Barn, West Sussex

Nicholls designed and installed a closed-loop GSHP system for a new extension to a traditional flint barn in West Sussex. The system was designed to meet the heating requirements of the extended pr...

GSHP for New Build in Horley, West Sussex
Closed-loop GSHPResidential

GSHP for New Build in Horley, West Sussex

Nicholls designed and installed a closed-loop GSHP system for a new build property in Horley, West Sussex. Working alongside the construction team, boreholes were drilled during the groundworks pha...

Rainwater Harvesting on a Sussex Farm
Water BoreholeAgricultural

Rainwater Harvesting on a Sussex Farm

Nicholls designed and installed a rainwater harvesting system on a Sussex farm, providing a sustainable water source for agricultural operations. The system collects and stores rainwater for distri...

Ground Source Heat Pump for a Primary School, West Sussex
Closed-loop GSHPEducation

Ground Source Heat Pump for a Primary School, West Sussex

Nicholls designed and installed a closed-loop GSHP system tailored to the heating requirements of the primary school buildings.

GSHP for a Large Village Home, Pulborough, West Sussex
Closed-loop GSHPResidential

GSHP for a Large Village Home, Pulborough, West Sussex

Nicholls designed, supplied and installed a closed-loop GSHP system for a large village home in Pulborough, West Sussex. The system provides all heating and hot water for the property.

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Areas we cover in West Sussex

We cover all of West Sussex including:

ChichesterHorshamBillingshurstKirdfordPetworthMidhurstStorringtonPulboroughHaywards HeathBurgess Hill

Local landing pages

Detailed pages for towns we work in across West Sussex:

HorshamCrawley

Not sure if we cover your area? Complete our enquiry form and we'll confirm.

Other areas we cover

Surrey (196)Hampshire (111)East Sussex (87)Kent (70)Buckinghamshire (39)Essex (38)Hertfordshire (28)London (80)Oxfordshire (18)Wiltshire (12)Suffolk (8)Cornwall (3)Somerset (4)

Common questions about West Sussex

Quick answers to the questions we hear most often from West Sussex residential, commercial and agricultural clients.

How deep does a water borehole need to be in West Sussex?
Depth depends entirely on which part of West Sussex you're in. Chichester and Arundel sit on the chalk aquifer — productive water typically at 30-80m. The Wealden Clay belt around Billingshurst, Horsham and Kirdford requires deeper drilling through clay to the underlying Hythe Sandstone, usually 80-130m. The Lower Greensand around Pulborough and Storrington offers good yields at moderate depth. We do a desk-based geological assessment using BGS data and our 227+ project records before any drill date is set.
How much does a water borehole cost in West Sussex?
Residential water boreholes in West Sussex typically cost £10,000-£20,000 depending on depth, distance from the plant room and treatment requirements (iron and manganese filtration is common in the Wealden Clay areas). Commercial sites range £20,000-£60,000+. We provide a fixed written estimate after a free site assessment — no obligation, and the assessment includes the geological desk study.
Will a ground source heat pump work on my West Sussex property?
Almost certainly. Both chalk (south of the Downs) and Wealden Clay (centre and north) work well for closed-loop GSHP. The chalk areas also support open-loop GSHP, drawing groundwater directly. Our compact drilling rigs fit through 5ft access gaps, so all but the smallest urban gardens are workable. We've completed many GSHP projects across the county — from large country estates around Petworth to new-build homes in the Haywards Heath area.
Do I need an Environment Agency licence for a private water supply in West Sussex?
Only if you'll abstract more than 20m³/day (about 4,400 gallons) — that covers most domestic and small commercial sites with no licence needed. Above 20m³/day, a Water Resources Abstraction Licence is required. Our in-house Licensing & Consulting team handles the application end-to-end including the hydrogeological reports the Environment Agency typically requests.
What about water quality in the Wealden Clay areas of West Sussex?
Boreholes drilled into the Hythe Sandstone beneath Wealden Clay (Billingshurst, Kirdford, Horsham, Petworth areas) often produce water with elevated iron and manganese. We test every borehole on commissioning and recommend appropriate treatment — typically a combination of oxidation, filtration and UV. Chalk-area boreholes (Chichester / Arundel) generally need lighter treatment.
Why Nicholls for boreholes and GSHP in West Sussex?
We're a West Sussex business — our office at Brownings Barn in Kirdford is in the heart of the county, and 227+ of our 4,000+ UK boreholes are in West Sussex. We design, drill, license, install and service in-house — no subcontracting the technical work. For visitors to a typical Horsham or Petworth project, we're 20 minutes away if anything ever needs an emergency call-out.

Ready to discuss your West Sussex project?

Request a free, no-obligation site assessment. We'll review your geology, assess your needs and provide an accurate written estimate.

Request a Site Assessment