While domestic boreholes do not usually require licences to abstract groundwater, there are some possible exceptions, according to Ismail Mahomed, a principal hydrogeologist and partner at SRK Consulting. There is also the growing need for South Africans to become more responsible water users.
Boreholes are becoming more popular in South Africa, especially in areas where municipal water supply is not reliable. Mahomed emphasised, however, that water is a finite and scarce resource in countries like ours, and both a legal and a responsible approach is required if groundwater is to be sustainably managed into the future.
“It is true that Schedule 1 of the National Water Act (NWA) entitles a person to take water – without a licence – for reasonable domestic use in the person’s household,” he said. “This includes gardening, watering of animals grazing on the land, and for fire-fighting.”
For people planning to sink a borehole, however, there may be permission required by the municipality before the sinking can be conducted, he noted. Anyone in this position really needs to check whether the municipal by-laws in their area may require authorisation of some kind. The local municipality should have this information.
SRK Contributors:
Ismail Mahomed, Avril Owens
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