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Borehole Maintenance: Service Schedule and Costs

A practical schedule for looking after a borehole, what each service costs, and the problems that need a professional. It is recommended practice, not a legal requirement: we found no South African rule that sets a maintenance schedule for a private borehole.

Last reviewed . Costs are market indications from public price pages, not quotes.

Borehole Maintenance Schedule

Monthly

You
  • Read and record the flow meter, and the water level if your borehole has an access port or dip tube
  • Check pressure and how often the pump starts and stops
  • Listen for unusual pump noise and check the control box for tripped breakers or warning lights
  • Look at the water: clarity, colour and smell
  • Check the borehole cap and headworks for gaps, damage or standing water

Every 3 Months

You
  • Clean or change the sediment pre-filter
  • Check pipe joints, the tank float valve and the tank for leaks
  • Check that the ground slopes away from the borehole and that nothing is stored or spilled near it
  • Compare your logged flow and water level with the previous quarter

Every 6 Months

You and a technician
  • Test the water for bacteria (E. coli and total coliforms) if you drink it
  • Service or replace filters (one price guide lists filter maintenance as twice a year)
  • Have a qualified electrician check connections and wiring

Annually

You and a professional
  • Full water test, chemical and microbiological, against SANS 241
  • Pump service or inspection by a professional
  • Replace the UV lamp if you have a UV steriliser, and clean the storage tank
  • Review your records. If the water level, flow or power use has changed, call for a yield test

Every 5 Years or When Problems Appear

A professional
  • Camera inspection of the casing and screen if yield, sand or water quality has changed
  • Start budgeting for a pump replacement, because submersible pumps commonly last 8 to 15 years
  • Compare your water-level record with neighbours' pumping and recent rainfall

A full test-pumping each year is not standard. Measure your own water level and flow monthly and call for a yield test when the readings change. SANS 10299 Part 8 covers the management of water boreholes; we have not read the standard text. Test frequencies match our water quality guide.

Borehole Maintenance Costs

ServiceIndicative Cost
Annual water quality test (SANS 241)R1,450 - R2,200
Pump servicing / inspectionR1,500 - R5,000
Pump repair or replacement (range quoted by one publisher)R3,000 - R30,000
Full submersible pump replacement, supplied and installedR12,000 - R30,000, up to R45,000 for deep or high-flow holes
Filter maintenance (twice a year)R500 - R2,000
Basic borehole cleaningR2,000 - R5,000
Borehole rehabilitationFrom about R5,000 (chemical treatment) to R15,000 - R50,000+ (structural repairs)
Borehole camera inspectionR2,200 - R5,000 (Gauteng R3,500 - R5,000, Western Cape R3,200 - R4,800)
Basic domestic yield testR1,500 - R5,000

Routine upkeep: one publisher quotes about R1,000 to R2,500 a year for annual maintenance. Add the yearly water test, a pump service in service years, and a pump replacement reserve.

Pump reserve: submersible pumps commonly last 8 to 15 years. As an example, a R18,000 replacement spread over 15 years is R100 a month, and a R45,000 replacement over 8 years is about R470 a month (our arithmetic).

How long do boreholes last? A borehole can last decades with maintenance. How long depends on geology, construction and how it is pumped, and we found no reliable figure to quote.

Prices come from driller and supplier price pages and vary by region, depth and access. Get written quotes. Rehabilitation work is covered on our rehabilitation page.

Common Borehole Problems and What to Do

Reduced Water Flow

Medium Priority

Common causes: Pump wear, falling water level, clogged screen, sand infiltration

What to do: Yield test plus pump inspection. A falling water level can signal aquifer stress that rehabilitation will not fix, so ask the professional which it is.

Sandy or Dirty Water

High Priority

Common causes: Screen damage, casing corrosion, over-pumping, ground disturbance

What to do: Reduce the pumping rate. Have the screen and casing inspected. Sand wears pumps quickly, so act early. May need rehabilitation.

Pump Running but No Water

High Priority

Common causes: Dry-running (water level dropped), pump impeller failure, air lock, pipe leak

What to do: Switch the pump off, check the water level, then have the pump and pipes inspected. A deeper pump setting may be needed.

Pump Tripping or Overload

Medium Priority

Common causes: Electrical faults, worn bearings, sand ingress, undersized cable

What to do: Have a professional check the control box, supply and motor.

Bad Taste or Odour

Medium Priority

Common causes: Iron or manganese build-up, bacterial growth, chemical contamination

What to do: Water test, then treatment matched to the result. Shock chlorination of the borehole may be needed.

Brown or Orange Water

Low Priority

Common causes: High iron content, rusting casing, disturbed sediment

What to do: Test the water and fit an iron removal filter if iron is the cause. Have the casing condition checked.

Groundwater Is Shared and Finite

  • Your borehole shares an aquifer with your neighbours. DWS notes that over-exploitation of groundwater is a common problem where groundwater is a main water source.
  • Writing down your water level and flow each month shows a trend. A level that falls from month to month is a warning, whatever the pump is doing.
  • Pump within the sustainable yield from your yield test. A pump should not draw more than the borehole can sustain.
  • Pumping by neighbours, a dry spell or a drought can lower your level. If it falls, cut use and call your hydrogeologist before the pump runs dry.
  • For serious cases the law can step in: a groundwater control area east of Rustenburg (Kroonstad and Marikana) was proclaimed after landowners raised concerns about groundwater loss from mine dewatering.

Yield Testing →

What a test pumping shows

Rehabilitation →

Methods, costs and limits

Water Testing →

Packages, costs and sampling

Borehole Pumps →

Pump types and sizing

Need Borehole Maintenance or Repairs?

Send one request and borehole service companies in your area can quote for servicing, pump repairs and rehabilitation. BoreholeZA lists companies from public information and has not inspected them, so ask for references.

Request a Free Quote

Sources