What is a borehole certificate?

The certificate is issued by a well specialist and is a confirmation that the borehole can provide a certain volume of water per hour. Banks and financial institutes usually requires these certificates. The parties shall determine who is contractually responsible for the cost if a bank require such a certificate.

How do you test a borehole?

How do we test? Test pumping consists of pumping a borehole at a specified rate and recording the level (and therefore the draw-down) in the pumping well, as well as any nearby observation boreholes at specific time intervals.

How much does it cost to test borehole water?

The Borehole Water Association of South Africa says the average drill cost is around 600 a meter, but this can be as much as R900 per meter depending on the company. “Yield testing will set you back somewhere between R2,000 and R5, 000 while the equipment might cost between R20, 000 and R40, 000.

What do you test for in borehole water?

Basic water potability Include tests for coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH, sodium, chloride, fluoride, sulphate, iron, manganese, total dissolved solids, and hardness. Indicate the presence of microorganisms in the water that are potentially harmful to human health.

Do I need permission for a borehole?

Landowners have a right to access any water beneath their ground. This means there is no need to acquire planning permission to drill a water borehole, thus making it easy for a developer to install a borehole during a property build process.

Do you need a license for a borehole?

Not usually. Anyone is allowed to extract up to 20,000 litres per day without a licence or a charge. If you do want to extract more than this, you will have to get an abstraction licence from the Environment Agency.

What is borehole testing?

A borehole pump test is a controlled experiment in which a borehole is pumped at a controlled rate and water-level response (draw-down) is measured. This is generally installed in a temporary fashion to flush the borehole until it runs clear and establish that enough water is available.

What is borehole capacity testing?

it involves a test to see the balance between the maximum amount of water that can be pumped out of the borehole and the amount of water that recharges back from the surrounding ground water source. Borehole Capacity testing is normally carried out to meet two main objectives: To establish borehole potential.

Are boreholes a good investment?

A well-maintained borehole is also a cost-effective, self-sufficient asset. Although initial costs of drilling and equipping may be high, there are long-term financial benefits to groundwater, particularly the fact that borehole water costs significantly less than municipal water.

How often should you test borehole water?

3. Test Your Water Regularly. Testing your water regularly is highly important, in fact the National Ground Water Association recommend you carry this out at least once each year. Ideally the water should be tested for bacteria, nitrates/nitrites and any contaminants of local concern.

How much does a borehole cost?

A borehole installation can cost anything from R60 000 to R100 000, but can cost more depending on how deep you need to drill, the amount of casing used, type of rock that needs to be drilled, ground conditions, equipment and other purpose-for-use related costs.

Can a test pump be used on a borehole?

As a result, the type and length of the test pumping performed on a domestic borehole will be shorter than the test on an irrigation borehole. During testing we will issue a certificate upon which the date, depth at which the test pump was installed, static water level, pumping rate at the end of the test and water color is recorded.

What is the purpose of borehole yield testing?

Borehole Yield testing is the process whereby a borehole is subjected to pumping under controlled test conditions in order to determine its performance characteristics. A borehole yield is the volume of water that can be abstracted from a borehole. Why is the borehole yield important?

Why is borehole testing important in South Africa?

We specialize in the professional execution of scientific testing of boreholes to ensure maximum utilization of groundwater resources in South Africa. It is essential to have the yield of a borehole tested for numerous reasons: To establish the safe yield at which the borehole can be pumped.

What is the evaluation phase of a borehole?

During the evaluation phase, boreholes are drilled, constructed, developed and tested to establish Hydrogeological parameters and calculate possible borehole, aquifer and basin (or catchment) yields. The final (and ongoing) phase in groundwater development is the exploitation or management phase.