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Borehole registration and permits in South Africa
By BoreholePro. Updated 12 October 2026.
Household boreholes don’t need a licence or registration with the Department of Water and Sanitation. Schedule 1 of the National Water Act covers reasonable household use, a garden that isn’t commercial and watering animals that graze the land, and in July 2026 DWS confirmed its registration drive does not apply to these users. Farms, businesses and anyone selling water may need to register. Some cities, such as Cape Town and Johannesburg, have their own rules before you drill.
Do I need a permit to drill a borehole?
Not from national government, for household use. There is no national licence for drilling a household borehole, and Schedule 1 of the National Water Act lets you take water for:
- reasonable household use on land you own or occupy,
- a garden that isn’t run for profit,
- watering animals that graze the land (not a feedlot).
There is no fixed volume for household use. DWS says the test is whether the use is reasonable and not commercial.
Who has to register?
Anyone using borehole water beyond Schedule 1: irrigating crops for sale, a business, a feedlot, a lodge or guesthouse, a school, a mine, or supplying other people. Depending on the volume and the area, that use falls under the General Authorisation for groundwater, which still has to be registered, or needs a full water use licence.
- Under the General Authorisation, registration is required once a property takes more than an average of 10 m³ a day over a year.
- The General Authorisation tops out at 40,000 m³ a year per property, less on smaller properties. More than that needs a water use licence.
The 2026 registration drive
On 24 April 2026 DWS called on water users to register or update their registrations (Government Notice 7408), free for 90 days until 23 July 2026, and said users who should have registered may face a late fee of R300 per property. After talks with OUTA, DWS confirmed in July 2026 that the drive does not apply to Schedule 1 household users. DWS still invites households to share their borehole details voluntarily.
How to register a water use with DWS
- Fill in the forms. DW760 for taking water from the borehole (position, use and volume), DW901 for the property, DW902 for the owner, plus DW756 for an individual or DW758 for a company. DW811 changes owner or contact details.
- Attach the documents. A certified copy of your ID (companies give their registration number), the title deed or a deeds office printout, and a lease or power of attorney if you don’t own the land.
- Send them in. Email register@dws.gov.za or take them to your DWS provincial office. The DWS toll-free line is 0800 200 200.
- Get your certificate. DWS issues a registration certificate with a register number. Under the General Authorisation, your use counts as registered once DWS acknowledges receipt.
Proposed borehole rules (2026 draft)
Draft regulations published for comment early in 2026 would require all borehole owners, household users included, to record their borehole on the National Groundwater Archive, new drilling to get a site number from the archive first, and drilling results to be submitted within two months. Drafts are not law until they are published as final in the Government Gazette.
City rules before you drill
| City | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| Cape Town | Apply at least 14 days before sinking a borehole or wellpoint, register it with the City afterwards (water@capetown.gov.za), and display the free sign during water restrictions. |
| Johannesburg | Written consent under the Land Use Scheme before drilling (fee reported as R1,185 in 2025), and a backflow preventer between the borehole and the municipal supply. |
| Tshwane (Pretoria) | No boreholes on dolomite; a specialist’s certification in listed dolomite suburbs; use the water only on the property, keep it off the municipal pipes, test it and put up a sign. |
| Other municipalities | Check the local by-laws, and any estate or body corporate rules, before drilling. |
Questions people ask
Do I need to register my borehole in South Africa?
Not for household use under Schedule 1 of the National Water Act. DWS confirmed in July 2026 that its registration drive doesn’t apply to household users. Commercial, farming and other larger uses may need to register.
Do I need a permit to drill a borehole?
There is no national permit for a household borehole. Some cities have their own rules: Cape Town wants 14 days’ notice and registration, Johannesburg wants written consent, and Tshwane doesn’t allow boreholes on dolomite.
What are the new regulations for boreholes in South Africa?
Draft regulations from early 2026 propose recording every borehole on the National Groundwater Archive and getting a site number before drilling. They are proposals until published as final in the Government Gazette.
Where do I send borehole registration forms?
To register@dws.gov.za, or your DWS provincial office. The forms are DW760, DW901, DW902 and DW756 or DW758.
Related
Where these numbers come from
- National Water Act 36 of 1998, Schedule 1 (permissible use of water)
- General Notice 538 of 2 September 2016: General Authorisation for taking and storing water (Government Gazette 40243)
- OUTA: DWS confirms most household borehole users do not need to register (Engineering News, 23 July 2026)
- DWS media statement: Water and Sanitation calls on water users to register or update water use (April 2026)
- Government Notice 7408 of 24 April 2026: Notice to register water use
- DWS registration guide for forms DW760 to DW764
- The Mercury: New borehole drilling regulations proposed (4 February 2026)
- City of Cape Town: Register a borehole or wellpoint
- Daily Maverick: Thinking of drilling a borehole in Joburg? (28 February 2025, updated 17 June 2025)
- Rekord: Are you allowed to drill a borehole in Pretoria? (5 January 2024)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; check with DWS and your municipality before you drill.
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