Borehole Drilling in Pretoria
What we could source about borehole drilling in Pretoria: 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 Pretoria
Indicative project price
R60,000 to R140,000
R380 to R700 per metre. The same guide lists Centurion at R65,000 to R150,000 and says a dolomite stability assessment adds R5,000 to R15,000 in high-risk areas. Another guide puts a typical Johannesburg or Pretoria residential system at R60,000 to R100,000 all-in.
Typical drilling depth
50 to 130 m
From one price guide, which also lists Centurion at 50 to 140 m. Your driller sets the depth from the survey.
Water level
No published figure
We found no published per-city figure. The DWS National Groundwater Archive holds borehole water-level records (free registration on the DWS website), but we have not extracted city figures. Depth to water varies within a single suburb, so ask for the survey's expected water level.
Listed companies
15
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 Pretoria (15)
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.
Intrusive Rock Drilling
481 Lady Gray Avenue, 6537 Lady Gray St, Nellmapius, Pretoria, 0122, South Africa
4.9 out of 5
53 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Big Joe Borehole Drilling
808 18th Ave, Rietfontein, Pretoria, 0084, South Africa
4.6 out of 5
41 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Waterpump Services
Hercules Street, 420 Moot St, Daspoort, Pretoria, 0082, South Africa
4.2 out of 5
43 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Rivicore Pty Ltd
35 Theron St, Lyttelton Manor, Centurion, 0045, South Africa
5 out of 5
15 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
High Class Drilling
397 Selikats Causeway, Faerie Glen, Pretoria, 0081, South Africa
4.7 out of 5
15 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Water Pump Group Moreleta Park
1267 De Villebois Mareuil Dr, Moreleta Park, Pretoria, 0044, South Africa
4.1 out of 5
22 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
HYDRO SOLUTIONS (PTY)Ltd
69 Vergelegen Ave, Equestria, Pretoria, 0184, South Africa
4.8 out of 5
10 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
City Drilling
Sakabuka Ave, Derdepoort, Pretoria, 0186, South Africa
4.2 out of 5
10 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
mvula-borehole-drilling
777 Pierneef St, Villieria, Pretoria, 0186, South Africa
3.3 out of 5
10 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Gauteng Boreholes and pumps
109 South St, Die Hoewes, Centurion, 0163, South Africa
4.8 out of 5
4 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
DM Borehole Drilling & installations Centurion
292 Chris Hougaard St, Wierdapark, Centurion, 0157, South Africa
5 out of 5
3 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Boegman Borehole Testing
54 Nieshout St, Kameeldrift east, Pretoria, 0039, South Africa
5 out of 5
3 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Crystal Sun Drilling
420 Moot St, Hermanstad, Pretoria, 0182, South Africa
5 out of 5
2 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
SA Borehole Pumps
16 Panfluit St, Eco-Park Estate, Centurion, 0144, South Africa
5 out of 5
1 review
Google rating, early 2026
Torque Drilling
11 Vinstra Rd, Valhalla, Centurion, 0185, South Africa
No Google rating
Geology and drilling conditions in Pretoria
Dolomite underlies large parts of southern Tshwane, including Irene and Centurion. A University of Pretoria dissertation reports more than 800 sinkholes in southern Tshwane, which is why drilling on dolomite is treated with extra care. Elsewhere Pretoria sits on Pretoria Group and Bushveld igneous rocks, which are fractured hard-rock aquifers; the DWS brochure gives dominant yield classes from 0.1 to 5.0 L/s for these rocks. Yields are modest and variable, so a dry or low-yield borehole is a real risk. Find out from the survey what rock your own plot is on.
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 Pretoria
The DWS Johannesburg map brochure, which covers Gauteng, says dolomitic aquifers are especially vulnerable to pollution, with high nitrate introduced through pit latrines, cattle kraals, sewage plant effluent and heavy fertiliser use. Test for E. coli and nitrate first, and add sulphate and total dissolved solids if mining is nearby.
SANS 241 tests to ask for first in Gauteng
- E. coli: not detected in 100 mL (acute health)
- Nitrate: 11 mg/L as N or less (acute health)
- Sulphate: 500 mg/L (acute health) and 250 mg/L (aesthetic)
- Total dissolved solids: 1,200 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
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 Pretoria
Press reports describe the City of Tshwane's water by-laws as requiring owners to notify the City before drilling a new borehole and give details of the installation, and say the City may require an environmental assessment, may ask existing owners to declare boreholes, may require approval if the water is used for drinking, and prohibits any direct connection between a borehole system and the municipal network. A May 2026 IOL report says registration is compulsory once drilling is complete. We read these in news coverage, not in the by-law text, so confirm with the City's water and sanitation department 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 (City of Tshwane)
Nearby places with their own rules
Johannesburg and Midrand have their own municipal rules (Johannesburg runs its own borehole application process), so check which municipality your plot is in before you rely on anything on this page.
Borehole drilling in other cities
Borehole drilling Johannesburg
Gauteng · 40 listed companies
Borehole drilling Cape Town
Western Cape · 29 listed companies
Borehole drilling Thohoyandou
Limpopo · 10 listed companies
Borehole drilling Gqeberha
Eastern Cape · 6 listed companies
Borehole drilling Polokwane
Limpopo · 5 listed companies
Borehole drilling Durban
KwaZulu-Natal · 5 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)
- Waterpoint SA: borehole drilling in Gauteng, cost, yield and suburb guide (all-in residential price and typical Gauteng depth)
- DWS Johannesburg hydrogeological map brochure (1:500 000) (aquifer types, yield classes, dolomite, nitrate, mining and control areas)
- Trollip, University of Pretoria: geology of an area south of Pretoria with reference to dolomite stability (sinkholes in southern Tshwane)
- Rekord, 22 July 2026: borehole registration not required for domestic use, department confirms (news report: DWS statement and Tshwane requirements)
- 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)
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