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Borehole registration and permits
You do not need to register a borehole used for your home. Household use, a garden that isn't commercial and watering a few animals fall under Schedule 1 of the National Water Act, which needs no licence or registration. Farms and businesses that use borehole water commercially must register it with the Department of Water and Sanitation, and late registrations after 23 July 2026 may be charged R300 per property.
Do you need to register a borehole for household use?
No. Schedule 1 of the National Water Act lets anyone take water from a borehole on land they own or occupy for reasonable domestic use, for a garden that isn't run commercially and for watering animals that graze the land (not a feedlot), without a licence and without registering. In July 2026 the Department of Water and Sanitation confirmed in writing to OUTA that its 2026 registration drive does not apply to these Schedule 1 users.
Who has to register borehole water use?
Anyone who uses borehole water beyond Schedule 1: irrigating crops for sale, running a business, a feedlot, a lodge or guesthouse, a school or a mine, or supplying water to other people. Depending on how much water is taken and where, that use falls under a General Authorisation, which still has to be registered, or needs a full water use licence.
What was the 2026 borehole registration drive?
On 24 April 2026 the Department of Water and Sanitation called on water users to register or update their water use registrations. Registration was free for 90 days, until 23 July 2026. The Department has said that a late fee of R300 per property may now be charged to users who should have registered and didn't.
Do you need permission to drill a borehole?
Not from the national government, for a household borehole. Check two other things before a driller arrives: your municipality's by-laws, since some municipalities ask to be told about new boreholes, and the rules of your estate or body corporate, if you live in one. A borehole for commercial use needs its registration or licence sorted before the water is used.
What does a borehole cost to drill in Limpopo?
Drilling costs R290 to R300 per metre on drillers' published lists in Limpopo, and a complete 40 m home borehole with a pump and a 5,000-litre tank comes to about R36,690 (checked 23 September 2026). See the Limpopo borehole price guide, or type your address into the tool for the price on your plot.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register my borehole in South Africa?
Not if it is for household use. Household use, a non-commercial garden and a few animals fall under Schedule 1 of the National Water Act, which needs no registration. Commercial use must be registered with the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Is there a fine for not registering a borehole?
For commercial users, the Department of Water and Sanitation has said a late fee of R300 per property may be charged for registrations after the free window closed on 23 July 2026. Household (Schedule 1) users are exempt.
Do you need a permit to drill a borehole?
Not from the national government for a household borehole. Check your municipality's by-laws and any estate or body corporate rules. Commercial water use needs registration or a water use licence.
Basis for the figures on this page
- Department of Water and Sanitation statement on the 24 April 2026 registration notice.
- The Department of Water and Sanitation's July 2026 written confirmation to OUTA on Schedule 1 users.
- National Water Act 36 of 1998, Schedule 1.
- This page is general information, not legal advice.
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