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Borehole water filtration systems
By BoreholePro. Updated 12 October 2026.
The right borehole filter depends on what is in your water, so test first. A filter matched to the test costs about R5,000 to R15,000 fitted for a household. Germs need a UV steriliser, iron and manganese an oxidising filter, hardness a softener, and nitrate, fluoride or salt need reverse osmosis.
- Water test first
- R800–R2,500
- Household filter, fitted
- R5,000–R15,000
Which filter for which problem?
| What the test finds | What fixes it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Germs (E. coli, coliforms) | Sediment filter, then a UV steriliser | UV only works on clear water, so the sediment filter comes first. |
| Iron or manganese (brown or black stains) | Oxidising filter | Turns the dissolved metal solid so the filter can catch it. Backwashes itself. |
| Hard water (scale on kettles and geysers) | Water softener | Protects the geyser and pipes. |
| Nitrate, fluoride or salt | Reverse osmosis | Usually a drinking-water unit at the kitchen tap. Whole-house units cost more and waste some water. |
| Sand or silt | Spin-down and cartridge sediment filters | If it keeps coming, the borehole itself may need cleaning. |
Where the filter goes
Most systems sit after the tank and pressure pump, so the whole house gets filtered water. A drinking-water unit for nitrate or fluoride sits under the kitchen sink. After it is fitted, a second test confirms the water now passes.
Common problems by province
From government water tests: the problem each province’s boreholes most often fail on.
| Province | Most common problem | Share over the limit |
|---|---|---|
| Limpopo | Nitrate | 40% |
| KwaZulu-Natal | Manganese | 4% |
| Western Cape | Salt | 36% |
| Mpumalanga | Salt | 20% |
Questions people ask
How much does a borehole filtration system cost?
About R5,000 to R15,000 fitted for a household filter matched to one problem. Whole-house reverse osmosis or several problems at once cost more and are quoted after the test.
Do I need a filter for borehole water?
Only if a test finds something over the drinking-water limits. Many boreholes pass. Test first, then buy the filter that removes what the test found.
How do you remove iron from borehole water?
With an oxidising filter, which turns dissolved iron into solid particles and catches them, then backwashes them out. It stops the brown stains on basins and laundry.
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
- SANS 241-1:2015 Drinking water, Part 1: Microbiological, physical, aesthetic and chemical determinands (South African Bureau of Standards)
Get a price for your borehole
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.