Borehole Drilling in Limpopo

Geology and what to expect

Much of Limpopo is crystalline basement rock. The British Geological Survey says groundwater in such rock is found in the shallow weathered zone, usually to a maximum of around 50 m depth, and in fractures, with low productivity and typically low yields. In the far north the Soutpansberg Group is heavily faulted and holds fractured rock aquifers. Success depends on a survey that finds fractured or weathered ground, and a dry or low-yield borehole is a real risk.

These are regional pictures. Depths and yields vary widely within a suburb, only a site survey and the driller's log can tell you what your plot will give, and a borehole can be dry.

Borehole drilling prices in Limpopo

One online price guide gives R290 to R530 per metre and R40,000 to R95,000 for a typical project, with typical depths of 40 to 120 m.

The only price guide we found that lists a Limpopo city is for Polokwane. We found no price source for Thohoyandou, Tzaneen, Mokopane or Louis Trichardt, so use this as a starting point and compare more than one written quote.

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.

National pricing guide · Cost calculator

Water quality and SANS 241 priorities

A study at Siloam in Vhembe found groundwater fluoride of 3.92 to 4.95 mg/L against the SANS 241 limit of 1.5 mg/L, and a 2000 paper describes a wide band of high-nitrate groundwater from the Northern Cape through North West into Limpopo. Test fluoride and nitrate first, then E. coli, total dissolved solids and chloride. Fluoride has no taste or smell.

• Fluoride: 1.5 mg/L or less (chronic health)
• Nitrate: 11 mg/L as N or less (acute health)
• E. coli: not detected in 100 mL (acute health)
• Total dissolved solids: 1,200 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
• Chloride: 300 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?