Drilling a borehole in South Africa without understanding the permit requirements can lead to compliance problems down the line. Here is a plain-language guide to what the law requires.
Under the National Water Act, groundwater is a public resource even when accessed on private land. For most private domestic boreholes, registration with the Department of Water and Sanitation is required but a full water use licence is not. The registration process involves submitting borehole details — location, depth, casing information, and intended use — to the relevant catchment management agency.
For larger abstraction volumes — typically above 10 cubic metres per day — a formal water use licence may be required. Agricultural applications and commercial sites often fall into this category. The licensing process can take several months, so it is important to start the application early. We assist clients with the registration and permit documentation on all our projects.
