Boreholes Thrive Amid Drought in South Africa

About 13% of the nation’s groundwater is utilized for domestic purposes, supplying approximately 400 towns that rely partially on groundwater sourced from boreholes. More than 60% of South Africa’s groundwater resources are consumed for commercial farming.

Groundwater is less susceptible to evaporation, serving as a natural buffer during periods of drought and climate change; however, stringent regulations are necessary to avert over-extraction and pollution.

One significant challenge in South Africa is the lack of comprehensive data regarding the number of boreholes drilled and the volume of groundwater extracted. Much of this information is missing from the national database managed by the Department of Water and Sanitation, which poses a considerable hurdle in effective groundwater management.

To address this issue, South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation has recently released draft regulations aimed at improving the protection and management of groundwater resources.

As a groundwater scientist, I view these new regulations as a crucial advancement in the country’s groundwater management. Nonetheless, they are inadequate as they treat both small and large commercial groundwater users equally, fail to account for climatic risks, and may be challenging to enforce.

These shortcomings need to be resolved and the regulations enhanced prior to finalization.

South Africa’s water is under pressure

Climate forecasts suggest that South Africa will experience increased warmth and dryness with unpredictable rainfall patterns. This will exacerbate water stress in a region that is already hot, dry, and facing water scarcity.

Surface water bodies such as lakes and dams are anticipated to evaporate quicker due to regional warming, increasing the country’s dependence on groundwater. As water demand rises, groundwater is often viewed as a more accessible source.

However, groundwater is not an unlimited resource. Recharge occurs mainly during rainfall; less rain means reduced aquifer replenishment. Moreover, intense downpours during extreme droughts may compromise groundwater quality as water quickly seeps through dry soil, bypassing essential natural filtration.

Excessive extraction from underground aquifers can lead to depletion. Factors like population growth and urbanization further intensify these pressures.

How the law will change

Presently, individuals can access groundwater by hiring a company to drill boreholes on their properties. The National Groundwater Archive maintained by the Department of Water and Sanitation has nearly 300,000 records of geosites (geological sites), primarily boreholes, and a few springs or other sites.

Approximately 80,000 to 100,000 new boreholes are drilled each year, with most not documented in the archive.

Furthermore, it is not logged whether these boreholes are for commercial, domestic, agricultural, or industrial use. Many boreholes become dry or repurposed over time. What is evident is that significantly more boreholes are drilled each year than those officially recorded.

The new regulations will necessitate that anyone who drills a borehole registers it with the government and maintains a record of their water extraction.

These draft regulations stipulate that borehole siting should adhere to best practices, and only registered drillers may conduct drilling operations. Geohydrological reports will be required to be submitted to the archive.

Additionally, municipalities will be tasked with preventing aquifer contamination by developing groundwater protection strategies and monitoring water quality, as mines, commercial farms, and poorly managed sanitation can inflict irreversible or financially burdensome damage to groundwater.

Moreover, the regulations aim to ensure fair access by requiring municipalities to manage groundwater resources essential for residents.

What could go wrong

There is a clear necessity for groundwater regulations in South Africa to safeguard increasingly stressed resources.

However, based on my 25 years of research in this field, I contend that several issues still need to be addressed.

Firstly, the government has not effectively informed the public about the new regulations.

Currently, small-scale groundwater users (such as private homeowners utilizing water solely for personal use) are not required to obtain a license for their boreholes under the Water Act.

Under the new regulations, these individuals will have to register their boreholes, install water meters to monitor usage, conduct annual chemical analyses, and report this data to the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Noncompliance could result in criminal charges, including a potential five-year prison sentence or fines.

This imposes a considerable financial burden and substantial paperwork on users of low groundwater volumes. Furthermore, the department lacks adequate personnel to verify reported borehole data or to monitor adherence to the new regulations.

Secondly, the proposed regulations overlook the varying risks that different borehole users pose to aquifers. Homes using low volumes of water have lower instances of over-extraction and contamination compared to large-scale users.

Thirdly, low-volume groundwater users should not be mandated to meter their usage or conduct chemical analyses unless their boreholes are situated in stressed aquifer areas or strategic water source regions.

Fourthly, the regulations do not adequately factor in climate change, failing to address the escalating drought risks for South African towns in extremely arid regions.

Instead of enforcing fixed groundwater extraction limits for municipal boreholes, municipalities should adjust their extraction limits based on actual usage and the rate of aquifer recharge following rainfall.

Next steps

Regulating groundwater in South Africa is not simply a technical issue; it is vital for protecting these resources, enhancing resilience, and ensuring water availability for future generations.

Draft regulations in South Africa must undergo public scrutiny before becoming law, allowing citizens to voice their opinions. The government reviews the feedback and makes necessary adjustments, ensuring better quality, legitimacy, and enforceability of the regulations.

Currently, the department is assessing the feedback received on the draft regulations and may revise them. This indicates that there is still an opportunity to address the existing gaps.

Surina Esterhuyse, Associate Professor in the Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State.

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