In Johannesburg a borehole comes with an application. Since 1 October 2025 the City has run a formal process: you submit a form with a geophysical survey report and supporting documents, pay the City's invoice, and wait for a decision letter. Most suburb guides on this site sit on the Johannesburg Granite Dome, where boreholes go down 40–120 m and a complete residential system is estimated at R60,000–R120,000.
How the City of Johannesburg's Borehole Application Works
This is the domestic process as the City publishes it. The application needs a geophysical survey report, so the survey comes first. The form also asks for pump, yield and water quality details, so confirm with the City or your driller at which stage to submit for a new borehole.
- Download the 2025 borehole application form from the City's website.
- Complete sections A and B: owner and property details, then the borehole itself — coordinates, pump, yield, water demand, quality reports and discharge location.
- Attach the supporting documents and submit.
- The City's Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD) checks the application and sends an invoice.
- Pay the invoice and email proof of payment. The application is only processed once payment is received.
- The City acknowledges payment, and the 14-working-day turnaround for a decision starts.
- The application goes out for specialist comment.
- You receive a letter saying the application is supported, rejected, or pended pending more information.
- Once the borehole is in use, submit meter readings every quarter, on the fifth day of January, April, July and October.
Supporting documents the City asks for:
- Certified copy of your ID
- Your three most recent municipal account statements
- Title deeds for the property
- A special power of attorney or letter of authorisation, if an agent applies for the owner
- Company documents, if the owner is a company
- A site plan showing where the borehole will be
- A geophysical survey report
The process flow does not state a fee; the amount comes on the invoice the City sends after checking your application. Download the form from the City's borehole applications page.
What happens when the process is skipped is not hypothetical: read the Gautrain tunnel incident, and the DWS registration guide for the national side.
Drilling on Dolomite Land
The City's Dolomite Risk Management By-law adds a separate rule. Section 13(9): “No boreholes for the abstraction of groundwater are permitted on dolomite land in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality without the written consent of the Dolomite Risk Management Section.”
None of the suburb guides below sit on dolomite in our geology data. If your survey report, or the City, identifies your property as dolomite land, you need that written consent before drilling.
Borehole Costs by Suburb
Indicative installed costs from each suburb guide, grouped by the ground under them. These are estimates, not quotes.
| Suburb | Typical depth | Typical yield | Indicative installed cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg Granite Dome — the north, hard-rock percussion drilling | |||
| Sandton | 48m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Bryanston | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Fourways | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Lonehill | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Dainfern | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Sunninghill | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Hyde Park | 60m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Rosebank | 60m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Randburg | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Ferndale | 48m - 90m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Midrand | 40m - 100m | 0.1 - 5.0 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Kyalami | 40m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Waterfall | 40m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Vorna Valley | 40m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Blue Hills | 40m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Crowthorne | 40m - 100m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Muldersdrift | 50m - 120m | 1.5 - 6.8 l/s | R60,000–R120,000 |
| Witwatersrand Supergroup — the west, quartzite | |||
| Northcliff | 80m - 120m | 0.5 - 2.0 l/s | R55,000–R110,000 |
| Linden | 60m - 90m | 0.5 - 2.0 l/s | R55,000–R110,000 |
| Roodepoort | 50m - 100m | 0.5 - 2.0 l/s | R55,000–R110,000 |
| Ruimsig | 50m - 100m | 0.5 - 2.0 l/s | R55,000–R110,000 |
| Ventersdorp Supergroup — the south | |||
| Meyersdal | 30m - 70m | 0.5 - 2.0 l/s | R45,000–R95,000 |
| Glenvista | 40m - 80m | 0.5 - 2.0 l/s | R50,000–R100,000 |
We do not yet hold a dated, itemised quote from a Johannesburg driller. The two dated quotes we do hold, from Pretoria and the KZN South Coast, both price drilling at R320/m. Published estimates for Johannesburg run higher: R1,000–R1,500/m in the northern granite belt, R800–R1,200/m around Midrand, and R700–R1,500/m towards the West Rand. The Gauteng suburb pricing guide breaks those zones down.
Water Quality Across Johannesburg
What the suburb guides note about groundwater, by area:
- Granite, the north: Generally good. Iron and hardness testing recommended before domestic use.
- Witwatersrand, the west: May contain elevated iron or manganese. E. coli testing essential.
- Ventersdorp, the south: Acceptable quality. Basic microbiological testing advised. Testing recommended before domestic use.
Test before drinking it. The water testing guide explains which panel to ask for and lists SANAS-accredited labs, including one in Randburg.
Borehole Drillers Serving Johannesburg
Directory listings that name Johannesburg or its suburbs in their service area. Ratings are the businesses' Google scores.
Serves Johannesburg, Pretoria, Midrand, Krugersdorp, Vaal Triangle
Serves Johannesburg, Pretoria, Roodepoort, Kempton Park, Benoni
Serves Alberton, Johannesburg South, Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Meyerton
Serves Sandton, Rivonia, Fourways, Sunninghill, Bryanston
Serves Centurion, Midrand, Pretoria East, Irene, Lyttelton
Serves Randburg, Johannesburg North, Fourways, Lonehill, Northcliff
Serves Meyerton, Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Sasolburg, Heidelberg
Serves Midrand, Centurion, Kyalami, Waterfall, Sunninghill
Serves Springs, Brakpan, Nigel, Heidelberg, Johannesburg East
Borehole Pumps and Repairs in Johannesburg
If you already have a borehole, most call-outs are for the pump rather than the hole. The pump maintenance guide covers the warning signs worth checking before you book a repair, the pump price guide shows what a replacement costs by size, and the listings above show which drillers also install and service pumps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need permission to drill a borehole in Johannesburg?
Yes. Since 1 October 2025, domestic boreholes go through the City of Johannesburg's application process: a form, supporting documents including a site plan and a geophysical survey report, payment of the City's invoice, then a decision letter. The 14-working-day turnaround starts once the City acknowledges your payment.
How much does a borehole cost in Johannesburg?
Indicative installed costs in the suburb guides run R60,000–R120,000 on the northern granite and R45,000–R100,000 in the south. We do not yet hold a dated Johannesburg quote; the dated quotes we do hold, from Pretoria and the KZN South Coast, price drilling at R320/m.
How deep are boreholes in Sandton?
Sandton sits on the Johannesburg Granite Dome, and boreholes there typically reach water at 48m–100m, with yields of 1.5 - 6.8 l/s. A survey sets the depth for your property.
What documents does the City of Johannesburg need for a borehole application?
Certified copy of your ID; Your three most recent municipal account statements; Title deeds for the property; A special power of attorney or letter of authorisation, if an agent applies for the owner; Company documents, if the owner is a company; A site plan showing where the borehole will be; A geophysical survey report.
Can I drill a borehole on dolomite land in Johannesburg?
Only with written consent. Section 13(9) of the City's Dolomite Risk Management By-law says no abstraction boreholes are permitted on dolomite land without the written consent of the Dolomite Risk Management Section.
Do I have to report my borehole water use?
Yes. The City requires quarterly borehole meter readings, submitted on the fifth day of January, April, July and October.
Get Quotes From Johannesburg Drillers
Have these ready
- A geophysical survey report and site plan — the City's application needs both.
- Your ID, title deeds and three latest municipal account statements.
- An itemised quote: survey, drilling per metre, casing, pump and testing listed separately.
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Sources
Municipal rules were read from the documents below on 13 September 2026.