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Borehole drilling in Gauteng
By BoreholePro. Updated 12 October 2026.
A typical borehole in Gauteng is drilled to about 80 m and costs about R55,000 with steel casing at the top, PVC casing and a pump, at R380 a metre on current price lists near Johannesburg. Government monitoring boreholes in Gauteng put the water at a median 27 m below ground, deeper than the national median of 12 m. A site visit confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling.
- Water below ground (median)
- 27 m
- Typical borehole
- 80 m
- Drilling rate
- R380 /m
- Lined and pumping
- R55,000
How much does borehole drilling cost in Gauteng?
Here is what a 80 m borehole in Gauteng is made of, at the same rates our quote tool uses (checked 12 October 2026).
| What you pay for | Price |
|---|---|
| Drilling, 80 m at R380 a metre | R30,400 |
| Steel casing at the top | R1,500 |
| PVC casing, 80 m | R11,600 |
| Pump for a 80 m hole | R11,500 |
| Borehole, lined and pumping | R55,000 |
Every 10 m deeper or shallower moves the price by about R5,250, plus a bigger or smaller pump. If solid rock starts deep, more steel casing is needed, at about R350 to R750 a metre. Water to the house usually adds a 5,000-litre tank (R6,940), a 3.5 m stand installed (R21,800) and a pressure pump (R2,950). Full price breakdown: borehole drilling prices.
How deep is the water in Gauteng?
The government’s monitoring boreholes in Gauteng put the water at a median of 27 m below ground. The middle half of readings sit between 12 m and 52 m, and 42% are within 20 m of the surface. The national median is 12 m. Latest readings run from 2016 to 2026.
The monitoring boreholes nearest Johannesburg put the water at about 37 m, so our quote tool prices an address there at about 80 m. Deeper water means a deeper hole and a stronger pump.
For how depth is decided anywhere in the country, see how deep is a borehole.
Is borehole water in Gauteng safe to drink?
Of the boreholes the government has tested in Gauteng, about 3 in 4 were over the iron limit (iron stains basins, laundry and paving brown). About half were over the manganese limit and about 1 in 3 over the salt limit. These are 2025 results.
Every borehole is different, even next door. Test before anyone drinks the water: a lab test costs R800 to R2,500, and a filter matched to the result costs R5,000 to R15,000. See borehole water testing.
What makes Gauteng different
Gauteng’s water sits deeper than most of the country, so holes run deeper and cost more. Two kinds of ground set the price. North of Johannesburg, from Randburg and Sandton up to Midrand, most boreholes are drilled into granite, where water sits in cracks in the rock and the exact spot matters. To the south-west, south-east and around Centurion, the ground is dolomite, which holds a lot of water but can form sinkholes.
Do I need permission to drill in Gauteng?
For household use you don’t need a licence from the Department of Water and Sanitation. The cities have their own rules:
- Johannesburg: the City asks for written consent under its Land Use Scheme before you drill, and Johannesburg Water wants a backflow preventer between the borehole and the municipal supply. See borehole drilling in Johannesburg.
- Tshwane (Pretoria, Centurion): the City does not allow boreholes on dolomite, and some suburbs need a specialist’s sign-off first. See borehole drilling in Pretoria.
- Ekurhuleni and the West Rand: much of the East and West Rand is dolomite. Ask the municipality before you drill and expect a dolomite check.
The full rules are on borehole registration and permits.
Towns in Gauteng
Borehole drilling in Midrand
Our quote tool prices an address in central Midrand at about 70 m and R49,450, lined and pumping.
Water at a median 23 m below ground (48% of readings within 20 m); drilling at R380 a metre on local price lists.
Borehole drilling in Centurion
Our quote tool prices an address in central Centurion at about 65 m and R46,825, lined and pumping.
Water at a median 22 m below ground (49% of readings within 20 m); drilling at R380 a metre on local price lists.
City pages in Gauteng
Questions people ask
How much does a borehole cost in Gauteng?
About R55,000 for a 80 m borehole with steel casing at the top, PVC casing and a pump, at R380 a metre. A tank, stand and pressure pump to get water to the house add about R31,690. The site visit sets the final price.
Can I drill a borehole on dolomite?
In Tshwane the City does not allow boreholes in areas underlain by dolomite, and in Johannesburg a geologist checks every consent application for dolomite risk. Drilling and pumping in dolomite can trigger sinkholes, so the site visit checks the ground before anything is drilled.
How deep are boreholes in Gauteng?
Government monitoring boreholes in Gauteng put the water at a median of 27 m below ground, with the middle half of readings between 12 m and 52 m. We price in Gauteng at about 80 m so the pump sits well below the water in dry months.
Related
Where these numbers come from
- Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS): National Groundwater Archive, GRIP borehole records, groundwater-level monitoring and water-quality results supplied to us by DWS GeoRequests, September and October 2026
- Current price lists from borehole drillers in Limpopo, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, checked 12 October 2026
- Rekord: Are you allowed to drill a borehole in Pretoria? (5 January 2024)
- Daily Maverick: Thinking of drilling a borehole in Joburg? (28 February 2025, updated 17 June 2025)
- National Water Act 36 of 1998, Schedule 1 (permissible use of water)
Get a price for your borehole in Gauteng
Type your address and see the price line by line, with the water records around your plot. A site visit confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling starts.