Borehole Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation can often restore yield lost to clogging, corrosion or sand, and is usually cheaper than a new borehole, but it cannot create water the aquifer does not have.
Last reviewed . Costs are market indications from public price pages, not quotes.
Rehabilitation vs Drilling New
Rehabilitation
From about R5,000
Chemical treatment R5,000 - R15,000; mechanical cleaning R8,000 - R20,000; structural repairs R15,000 - R50,000 or more
Fixes clogging, corrosion, sand and damaged casing. It does not fix a lowered water table or a depleted aquifer.
New Borehole
R30,000 - R120,000
About R30,000 - R70,000 to drill, case and survey a 40 to 60 m hole; about R60,000 - R120,000 fully equipped
Full drilling from scratch. Higher cost, a real risk of a dry or low-yielding hole, and more disruption to your property.
The ranges overlap at the top, so a borehole that needs major structural work can cost close to a new one. Get an inspection and a yield test before you decide.
Before You Rehabilitate
Rule out the pump
Reduced flow can be a worn pump, a leak or an electrical fault. Have the pump inspected before paying for borehole work.
Measure the water level and run a yield test
A test shows whether the borehole still supplies what it did, and how the level recovers. See our yield testing page.
Inspect the casing and screen
A camera inspection is quoted at about R2,200 to R5,000 by one publisher and shows clogging, corrosion or damaged casing.
Decide what the problem is
Clogging, corrosion and sand are what rehabilitation can fix. A lowered water table or a depleted aquifer is not, and the answer there may be to cut use, add storage or site a new borehole.
In iron-rich groundwater, such as parts of the Table Mountain Group, iron and manganese can clog a borehole. SANS 10299 Part 7 covers the rehabilitation of water boreholes; we have not read the standard text. See our yield testing page and maintenance guide.
Signs Your Borehole May Need Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Methods and Costs
Mechanical Brushing and Cleaning
Wire brushes are lowered into the borehole to remove scale, mineral deposits and biofilm from the casing and screen. A basic cleaning is quoted at about R2,000 to R5,000, and mechanical cleaning at about R8,000 to R20,000, depending on depth and condition.
R2,000 - R20,000
Air Lift Development
Compressed air is pumped down to surge water through the screen, removing fine sediment and opening blocked slots. Enviroleg's price guide lists air lifting at about R8,000 to R20,000.
About R8,000 - R20,000
Chemical Treatment
Acid or biocide solutions dissolve mineral scale, iron bacteria and biological clogging, followed by flushing. The chemicals need safe disposal, and the water should be re-tested afterwards.
R5,000 - R15,000
Hydrofracturing
High-pressure water is injected to open fractures in the surrounding rock so more water can reach the borehole. Effectiveness is site specific, so results vary and can be small.
Ask for a quote
Re-casing / Liner Installation
A new liner is installed inside the old casing to seal off damaged sections and keep sand or contamination out.
R10,000 - R50,000
After any rehabilitation, re-test the water and repeat the yield test, so you can see what the work achieved. Prices vary with depth, condition and region, so get itemised written quotes.
Restore Your Borehole
Send one request and borehole rehabilitation companies in your area can quote. BoreholeZA lists companies from public information and has not inspected them, so ask for references and an itemised quote.
Request a Free QuoteSources
- Borehole rehabilitation prices (Enviroleg) (chemical, mechanical, structural and casing repair costs)
- Borehole maintenance prices (Enviroleg) (basic cleaning and rehabilitation ranges)
- Borehole CCTV inspection prices (Enviroleg) (camera inspection range)
- Borehole prices 2026 (Borehole Hub) (new borehole price ranges)
- Borehole drilling prices in South Africa (Enviroleg) (complete installation range)
- Borehole drilling in Gauteng: cost, yield and suburb guide (Waterpoint SA) (all-in residential cost)
- Borehole Water Association: SANS 10299 parts (Part 7 is the rehabilitation of water boreholes)
- UWC thesis on Table Mountain Group groundwater quality (iron and manganese clogging)