Borehole Drilling in North West

Geology and what to expect

Around Rustenburg the ground is Bushveld Complex igneous rock, where the British Geological Survey says water occurs in fractures and weathered zones, best developed in the uppermost few tens of metres. The DWS brochure places dolomite further west around Lichtenburg and Mahikeng, where a control area limits abstraction, and notes an alluvial aquifer along the Crocodile River downstream of the Roodekopjes and Vaalkop dams where boreholes seldom yield less than 5 L/s. East of Rustenburg, platinum and chrome mine dewatering led to the Kroonstad/Marikana control area. A dry borehole is possible.

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 prices in North West: ask local drillers

We found no published price source for any North West town. Ask local drillers for written quotes.

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 2000 paper describes a band of high-nitrate groundwater through North West, the British Geological Survey says groundwater in intrusive igneous rocks is often affected by elevated fluoride, and the brochure says the contribution of mining to water-quality degradation is substantial. Test nitrate and fluoride first, then E. coli, total dissolved solids and sulphate.

• Nitrate: 11 mg/L as N or less (acute health)
• Fluoride: 1.5 mg/L or less (chronic health)
• E. coli: not detected in 100 mL (acute health)
• Total dissolved solids: 1,200 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
• Sulphate: 500 mg/L (acute health) and 250 mg/L (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?