Got a borehole? Why some towns now bill you R70 to R406 a month

Homeowners who drilled boreholes to cope with unreliable municipal water are being billed monthly fees for them in at least three municipalities, with residential charges ranging from R70 to R406.50 a month (BusinessTech).

You do not need to register a household borehole with the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) if you use it for reasonable domestic purposes. But that national exemption does not stop your municipality from charging its own fees under local tariffs and by-laws.

Which municipalities charge borehole fees?

• Mbombela (Mpumalanga): R406.50 a month per borehole for residential properties, R877.12 per borehole for businesses, and between R6,688.15 and R8,953.20 for properties with more than one borehole (Lowvelder).
• Mangaung (Free State): R70 a month for properties without municipal water meters, described as an infrastructure availability fee. It applies even where the borehole is not connected to the home's plumbing (BusinessTech).
• Abaqulusi, Vryheid (KwaZulu-Natal): R133 a month. Residents and civil rights groups have challenged it, and some homeowners reportedly got the charge without having a borehole (BusinessTech).

Why is Mbombela charging borehole owners?

The charge sits in Mbombela's drainage and sewerage tariffs for 2026/27, which the municipality says council approved on 29 May 2026 (AfriForum).

Municipal spokesperson Joseph Ngala said owners are charged because their boreholes draw from water systems the municipality manages (Lowvelder).

In the part of Mbombela where water is run by the utility Silulumanzi, spokesperson Richmond Jele said no fee is charged simply for owning a borehole. Borehole users mainly pay sanitation charges, because wastewater going into the municipal sewer must be treated whatever its source. He said domestic properties on boreholes must register with Silulumanzi for sanitation, and pay a fixed sewer charge of R2,137 a month plus variable sewer charges under the 2026/27 tariffs (Lowvelder).

Silulumanzi also requires written approval before you use any water source other than the municipal supply, under the City's water supply by-law. You apply through its customer services department with your property description, account details, intended use and a site plan of the borehole and tanks (Lowvelder).

Who is pushing back?

The Freedom Front Plus asked council to scrap the Mbombela levies, but the council rejected its motion (Freedom Front Plus).

AfriForum has asked Mbombela to explain how the R406.50 figure was calculated and what service it pays for. Its environmental affairs manager, Lambert de Klerk, said there is "a significant difference" between using borehole water in the house and using it only on the garden, where the water never reaches the sewer (AfriForum).

Do you have to register your borehole nationally?

Not if it is for normal household use. Schedule 1 of the National Water Act allows you to take water for reasonable domestic use, small non-commercial gardening and watering animals that graze on your land, without a licence (DWS).

After engagements with DWS, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) said the department confirmed there is no set volume limit for domestic use, and that Schedule 1 users cannot be penalised for not registering (Outa).

Boreholes used for commercial purposes, including farming and industry, must be registered (SA Government).

What should you check if you have a borehole?

• Your municipal bill, for a new borehole, sanitation or availability line item.
• Your municipality's 2026/27 tariff schedule and water by-law, usually on its website, to see whether boreholes must be declared or approved.
• Whether your borehole water ends up in the sewer. Under Mbombela's system, sanitation charges are linked to wastewater, which is the basis AfriForum is questioning.

If a charge looks wrong, query it in writing with your municipality's billing or customer care office and keep the reference number.