Drilling a borehole in South Africa is governed by the National Water Act and by your municipality’s by-laws. Limited domestic use needs no licence or DWS registration, larger use must be registered, and anything else needs a water use licence.
Municipal rules differ, so check with your municipality before you drill. If your property is a sectional title unit, also ask your body corporate or managing agent first.
Business Requirements at a Glance
Borehole requirements generally cover the following.
- Schedule 1 use — reasonable domestic use, small non-commercial gardening and watering animals (not feedlots) on land you own or occupy needs no licence and no DWS registration
- General authorisation — taking more than 10 cubic metres of groundwater a day on average over a year must be registered
- Water use licence — needed where the use is not Schedule 1, an existing lawful use or covered by a general authorisation
- Municipal by-laws — notice, approval or registration rules set by your municipality
- Proposed groundwater regulations — published for comment in December 2025, not yet confirmed as in force
Registration and Legal Requirements
Section 22 of the National Water Act allows water use without a licence only if it is permissible under Schedule 1, is a continuation of an existing lawful use, or falls under a general authorisation. Otherwise a licence is required.
Schedule 1 covers reasonable domestic use, small gardening not for commercial purposes and watering animals (excluding feedlots) on land the person owns or occupies, provided the use is not excessive for the resource and other users. The Department of Water and Sanitation’s registration guide says Schedule 1 use is not required to be registered or licensed, so a borehole used only for household and garden purposes need not be registered with DWS.
Under the general authorisation (GN 538 of 2016), a person who takes more than 10 cubic metres of water per day from groundwater, on average over a year, must register the water use. Groundwater may not be taken under that authorisation within 500 m of a wetland or estuary, or within 100 m of a watercourse’s riparian edge or a state dam; the notice lists other distances too.
Documents and Ownership Information Required
Taking water from a borehole is a listed water use under section 21(a) of the National Water Act, and DWS form DW760 Part 2A applies when registering such use. If you register, keep the confirmation. If you need a licence, the licence document sets the conditions you must comply with.
What a registration or licence application needs is set by DWS, so check the registration guide and the e-WULAAS portal before you apply. Keep your driller’s records of the borehole whatever your use.
Tax, Licence and Compliance Requirements
DWS does not state a registration fee in the guide for water use registration, so ask DWS if one applies to your application.
Water quality is your responsibility. Borehole water is not automatically safe to drink, so have it tested before you use it for drinking.
Process, Deadlines and Ongoing Obligations
Municipality. Municipal rules are local. As one example, the City of Cape Town requires an application to sink a borehole or wellpoint 14 days before installation, registration with the City after installation, and signage on display. See the City of Cape Town page. Other municipalities differ, so ask yours.
DWS. Registrations and licence applications go through DWS. See the WARMS notices page for registration and the e-WULAAS portal at ewulaas.dws.gov.za for authorisations.
Sectional title. No official page sets out a separate approval process for drilling in a sectional title scheme. Ask your body corporate or managing agent whether the scheme’s rules allow it, and ask your municipality and DWS whether your planned use needs approval.
Proposed regulations. On 10 December 2025 the Minister published proposed groundwater regulations for 60 days of public comment. They would require geosites to be registered for all groundwater users, drillers to be registered on the National Groundwater Archive and boreholes to be decommissioned within 60 days of final use. They are proposed, not confirmed, so check whether they have been finalised before you drill. See the draft notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need permission to drill a borehole?
Under the National Water Act you do not need a licence or DWS registration for Schedule 1 use (reasonable domestic use and small non-commercial gardening). Your municipality may still require notice or registration, as Cape Town does, so check before you drill.
Do I need to register a borehole used for my house and garden?
Not with DWS. A borehole used only for household and garden purposes is Schedule 1 use and need not be registered or verified. Municipal registration is a separate question for your municipality.
When do I need to register or get a water use licence?
Registration is required once you take more than 10 cubic metres of groundwater per day on average over a year under the general authorisation. A licence is required when the use is not Schedule 1, an existing lawful use or covered by a general authorisation.
What is the approval process for drilling a borehole in a sectional title scheme?
There is no separate process in the sources DWS publishes. Start with your body corporate or managing agent, then your municipality, then DWS if your planned use goes beyond Schedule 1.
Is borehole water safe to drink?
Not automatically. Have the water tested before you drink it.
Will new groundwater regulations change this?
Proposed regulations published in December 2025 would require geosite registration for all groundwater users and registered drillers. They had not been confirmed when this page was written, so check with DWS.
Confirm requirements with your municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation before drilling. See business and compliance requirements and browse company registration requirements.