Water crisis: Borehole business boom

While Eskom battles to keep the lights on, water is fast becoming South Africa’s next national crisis. And, as with electricity, many citizens are looking to make their own plans to get clean water.

Borehole drilling companies are seeing a boom in business as more and more people lose trust in the government to keep the taps flowing.

At Tomahawk Borehole Drilling, owner Ludwig Bodemer said they were seeing increased demand for their services since the load shedding crisis became worse over the past five years.

Supply and demand

“Many of our clients who approached us said they needed a constant supply of clean water, something they have not been getting from their various local municipalities in recent years,” he said.

Bodemer said demand for boreholes has been highest in Gauteng and the Free State. In Gauteng, the busiest areas include Meyerton, Soweto and Lenasia.

“We have also been busy in other areas including Parys, where there are a lot of challenges with water supply,” Bodemer said. The costs to have a borehole system installed varies from area to area, as Bodemer explained: “It all depends on the different underground formation as you find hard and abrasive stone in some areas, which takes longer to drill.

“It is a bit cheaper in dolomitic areas such as in Lenasia and Ennerdale, where the ground is a bit softer,” said Bodemer. For residents in the Vaal and Johannesburg, it can cost anything between R40 000 and R45 000, depending on how deep they have to drill.

Relief

This figure includes any surveying work that needs to be done. Some of the residents who, in recent years, had water borehole systems installed on their properties, expressed relief following years of struggles with unreliable supply.

George Machitje from Three Rivers near Vereeniging, south of Johannesburg, said: “I decided to get a borehole water system almost a year ago so that my children and grandchildren won’t have to struggle when I am no longer around.

“This has been the best decision I have made because I have also been able to save a lot of money from my municipal bill as I’m now only paying R200 a month,” said Machitje.

“The water quality I have been getting is out of this world and I have never had any problems whatsoever since the installation of the borehole, which also included the purification system,” Machitje added. He said he was not completely off the grid because his electricity is supplied by Midvaal local municipality.

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Another resident, Molelekwa Marumo, said his parents are elderly people whose health has deteriorated and they can’t fetch water. He said even the water tankering system provided by the municipality has not been helping as the tankers only occasionally deliver water.

“The only immediate solution is to bring an alternative water source to my parents and the nearby community. “The water crisis in the area comes a long way and n the area where my parents live, it has been almost two years, but in other areas it can be over five years.

Marumo said they have not come to the point where they can install a borehole. “Unfortunately, the borehole comes with its own costs as there are two pumps installed – one extracting water from the borehole and one for pressure to the main supply.

“Both these use electricity which is very expensive for everyone and, in particular, the two pensioners.” Children’s home manager Kay Jones recalls paying R20 000 for monthly municipal services.

That figure has since come down since the Walkerville home − housing 24 children ranging from newborns to seven-year-olds − installed a borehole water system.

“Going the borehole route has been the best decision we have made and we are now considering getting off the grid,” Jones said.

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– stephent@citizen.co.za