Before drilling a borehole, contact the city to follow the correct procedures

Following the recent incident when drilling on private property caused soil and water to leak into a Gautrain tunnel, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) arms residents with the requirements for drilling a borehole.

The city’s Department of Development Planning has confirmed that drilling boreholes on residential properties is subject to provisions of the city’s Land Use Scheme (LUS) of 2018.

The following is needed, according to the department:

• DWS consent: You must obtain written consent from the CoJ before drilling a borehole as stipulated in Section 14(1) of the CoJ’s LUS (2018).

As part of the application process, comments from the city’s engineering departments and Environmental Infrastructure Service Department (EISD) are acquired to ascertain that the proposed borehole will not detrimentally affect existing infrastructure.

However, the city does not consider/approve borehole applications in dolomitic areas listed in the CoJ’s LUS (2018).

• Notification: You must give the municipality 14 days written notice of your intention to drill a borehole, as required by Section 41 of the CoJ’s public health by-laws.

• Water use authorisation: The National Water Act 36 of 1998 outlines that you might need a licence to use water from the borehole depending on the amount of water abstracted. For reasonable domestic use, a licence might not be necessary.

• Safety measures: The borehole must be adequately covered to prevent injuries, and a noticeable sign indicating its presence must be affixed to the property.

These regulations ensure borehole drilling is done safely and sustainably. There might be hidden infrastructure that could be damaged, or a sinkhole could appear.

The department cautions residents against making costly uninformed decisions and to avoid exploitation by unscrupulous companies wanting to secure a constant water supply.

The regulations related to boreholes in SA include:

• permitting: A permit from the DWS and approval from the city is required before drilling a borehole, especially for boreholes used for commercial purposes. For domestic-use boreholes, the city approval alone suffices. These permits/consents must be obtained before drilling work can begin.

• the city requires written consent applications for long-existing boreholes must be submitted to it for registration by its EISD water services section.

• hydrogeological study: In some cases, this study must be done by a registered hydrogeologist before drilling a borehole. This study determines the water potential in the area and assesses the borehole’s potential impact on the surrounding environment.

• water use: Boreholes can only be used for specific purposes, as defined by the DWS, such as domestic or commercial use and monitoring purposes (filling station boreholes). The city condones using boreholes for alternative (non-potable) use, such as flushing toilets and irrigation.

• monitoring and reporting: The DWS requires regular borehole monitoring and submitted reports on water levels, water quality and borehole maintenance.

• rehabilitation: When a borehole is no longer in use, it must be correctly rehabilitated to prevent contaminating the surrounding groundwater.

• restrictions: The DWS and the city can restrict borehole use and drilling in certain areas to protect the environment and preserve water resources.