Borehole Drilling in Durban
What we could source about borehole drilling in Durban: geology, typical depths, price guidance, permit rules and the drilling companies listed there from public information. It is a guide, not advice for your plot.
Last reviewed . Prices and depths are indications from the sources listed at the foot of the page.
Borehole drilling prices in Durban
Indicative project price
R45,000 to R110,000
R320 to R600 per metre. From one price guide. We found no other published Durban price source.
Typical drilling depth
30 to 90 m
From one price guide. Your driller sets the depth from the survey.
Water level
0 to 15 m in coastal sands
A 2022 University of KwaZulu-Natal study of the greater eThekwini area reports water levels of 0 to 15 m below ground in the coastal sand aquifers and a median of about 20 m in Dwyka rocks, with the deepest levels (over 50 m) in Natal Group sandstone and granite basement boreholes.
Listed companies
5
From public information, none verified by us.
Depths and water levels here are indicative ranges from regional geology and published guides, not predictions for your plot. They vary widely within a suburb and with season and pumping. Only a site survey and the driller's log can tell you what your plot will give, and a borehole can be dry.
Prices come from published price guides, not from quotes. The main guide does not say whether its per-metre rates include casing, VAT or mobilisation, and a fully equipped system (pump, tank and installation) costs more than a drilled and cased hole. Ask for written quotes that say what is included.
Borehole drilling companies in Durban (5)
These companies come from public Google business listings and company websites that we checked. We have not inspected, verified or endorsed any of them, and a listing says nothing about their registration, insurance or workmanship. Check the company yourself before you hire. Ratings are Google ratings, early 2026, and the list is sorted by rating weighted by number of reviews.
Borehole drilling ekhaya projects
29 Caversham Rd, Pinetown, Durban, 3610, South Africa
4.5 out of 5
13 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
EXODOS BOREHOLES PTY LTD
89 Newcastle Ave, Reservoir Hills, Durban, 4091, South Africa
5 out of 5
2 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
HydroGrid
Unit 4, 2 Bruning Pl, Jacobs, Durban, 4060, South Africa
3 out of 5
2 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
topzinto trading cc
01 Ncondo Pl, Umhlanga Ridge, Durban, 4219, South Africa
No Google rating
Submersible pumps
Unit 15 Four Tower Business Park 5 Valley View Rd New Germany, Falcon Industrial Park, Pinetown, 3610, South Africa
No Google rating
Geology and drilling conditions in Durban
Durban's geology is mixed. In a 2022 University of KwaZulu-Natal study of eThekwini, coastal sand aquifers (the Bluff and Berea Formations) averaged 13 to 25 L/s, Natal Group sandstone averaged 9.1 L/s, Dwyka tillite averaged 0.4 L/s, and Ecca shale (the Pietermaritzburg Formation) behaved as an aquitard rather than an aquifer. Those are averages for boreholes in the study, not a promise for your plot. Yields therefore range from poor to good and vary a lot from plot to plot, and a dry or low-yield borehole is a real risk. Heavy pumping near the coast carries a potential seawater intrusion risk.
This is a regional picture. Which rock your plot is on, and what it will yield, only a site survey and test drilling can show.
Borehole water quality in Durban
The Durban study notes a potential seawater intrusion risk along the coast where groundwater is pumped, and the Dwyka and Ecca shale rocks give sodium-chloride type water, so test electrical conductivity and chloride as well as E. coli and nitrate.
SANS 241 tests to ask for first in KwaZulu-Natal
- E. coli: not detected in 100 mL (acute health)
- Electrical conductivity: 170 mS/m or less (aesthetic)
- Chloride: 300 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
- Nitrate: 11 mg/L as N or less (acute health)
Whatever the province, the baseline checks are E. coli, nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids. Only a lab test tells you what your water holds.
Water quality guide · Is borehole water safe to drink? · Water filters and treatment
Borehole permits and rules in Durban
A May 2026 IOL report says that in eThekwini registration of the borehole is compulsory once drilling is complete. We could not find the by-law text, so confirm with eThekwini Municipality before you drill. Under the National Water Act, taking borehole water for reasonable domestic use on your own property is a Schedule 1 use: no water use licence and, according to DWS, no national registration. Other uses can fall under the General Authorisation or need a licence. Municipal by-laws still apply on top of this.
Rules change and we are not your lawyer. Check the municipality's current process before you drill.
Read the permits and regulations guide →Questions to ask before you hire
- 1Can I have a written quote that says what is included: siting survey, drilling per metre, casing, yield test, pump, tank, VAT and any minimum charge?
- 2What happens if the borehole is dry or yields very little? Is there a minimum charge, and is it in writing?
- 3Who does the siting survey, and is it a SACNASP-registered hydrogeologist or geophysicist?
- 4Can I speak to recent customers, and can I see a driller's log or completion report from a recent job?
- 5Does the company belong to the Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa, and does it follow SANS 10299 (design, construction and drilling of boreholes)?
- 6Will you do a yield test (test pumping), how long will it run, and will I get the results?
- 7How will you handle my municipality's rules, and do you submit borehole data to the DWS National Groundwater Archive?
- 8Which laboratory will test the water against SANS 241, and will the results come to me?
- 9Do you carry public liability insurance, and can you show proof? Is there a written guarantee on workmanship, and what does it cover?
Pump installation, water filtration and equipping are usually quoted separately from drilling.
Areas this page covers (eThekwini Municipality)
Nearby places with their own rules
These towns are in other municipalities with different rock and different rules. Pietermaritzburg has its own page.
Borehole drilling in other cities
Borehole drilling Pietermaritzburg
KwaZulu-Natal · 4 listed companies
Borehole drilling Johannesburg
Gauteng · 40 listed companies
Borehole drilling Cape Town
Western Cape · 29 listed companies
Borehole drilling Pretoria
Gauteng · 15 listed companies
Borehole drilling Thohoyandou
Limpopo · 10 listed companies
Borehole drilling Gqeberha
Eastern Cape · 6 listed companies
Sources
- OurPower borehole drilling cost guide, city table (updated 1 October 2026) (city totals, per-metre rates and typical depths; a price-guide page, not quotes)
- Msweli, University of KwaZulu-Natal MSc (2022): potential aquifers around eThekwini (yields and water levels by rock type, seawater intrusion)
- IOL, 18 May 2026: boreholes in South Africa, legal pitfalls every homeowner should know (news report: municipal rules in several cities)
- National Water Act 36 of 1998, DWS copy (Schedule 1) (reasonable domestic use and by-laws)
- SANS 241-1:2015 drinking water limits (laboratory transcription) (limits quoted on this page)
Request borehole quotes in Durban
Send one request and, with your consent, we pass it to listed drilling companies in your area so they can quote. Each company sets its own prices and decides whether and when to reply, and we cannot promise how many will.
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