Has anybody dug a well

My neighbour and I are thinking of doing this - we've been quoted at between 3-7k depending on depth and some other variables I presume. Does anyone know what sort of charges it will cost to pump the water etc? I really dont know much about this and want to make sure its the sensible thing to do before we go ahead and do it. Currently, the group water scheme is 250e per year but that is due to change when we get "proper" mains into the village. I understand that to co.co are going to be placing meters onto houses then and if the well is more efficient etc.
Any info at all would be great. Thanks.

We had a well drilled when we built a house a few years back. The cost was about 5k including the water filtration system and submersible pump. As you will know there is no way of knowing in advance just how far the drilling company will have to go so you have to factor in a potential additional cost. Ours was quite deep. After our well was drilled we had the water tested. Our water had a good deal of iron in it and other matters. We needed a filtration system. We had that installed. It was a headache from day one really. A few times the system failed and unluckily it coincided with very heavy rainfall which meant a lot of muck got into the water tank and we had to clean it out. It also needed constant servicing and the special salt had to be bought for it and changed monthly. The water needs to be tested on an ongoing basis. After two years we had a fault in the cable to the pump which meant we had to pay out 500 for the cable to be changed and the call out. The pump itself only has a shelf life and if a part needs to be replaced it is potentially as costly as a new pump. After all this you also need to be aware that the water can't be used for babies, children or people with heart conditions because of the salt content (due to our filtration method).After 4 years the water filtration system developed a fault and we were told one of the most costly parts would have to be replaced ( wouldnt you know? ).

When the group water scheme became available in the area it was with immense relief that we paid 1000 to get a supply. Things to bear in mind.