Boreholes Flourish During South Africa’s Drought

Approximately 13% of the country’s groundwater is earmarked for domestic use, providing essential support to around 400 towns that partially depend on groundwater retrieved from boreholes. Over 60% of South Africa’s groundwater resources are allocated for commercial farming activities.

Groundwater is less vulnerable to evaporation, acting as a natural buffer during droughts and climate change; however, strict regulations are imperative to prevent over-extraction and contamination.

A major challenge in South Africa is the inadequate data on the number of boreholes drilled and the volume of groundwater extracted. Much of this data is absent from the national database maintained by the Department of Water and Sanitation, creating significant obstacles for effective groundwater management.

To tackle this issue, South Africa’s Department of Water and Sanitation recently proposed draft regulations intended to enhance the protection and management of groundwater resources.

As a groundwater scientist, I consider these new regulations an important step forward in the country’s groundwater management efforts. Nevertheless, they fall short by treating small and large commercial groundwater users the same, overlooking climatic risks, and potentially posing challenges for enforcement.

These deficiencies must be addressed and the regulations improved before finalization.

South Africa’s water is under pressure

Climate predictions indicate that South Africa will face increasing temperatures and dryness with erratic rainfall patterns. This will exacerbate water shortages in a region that is already hot, arid, and struggling with water scarcity.

Surface water sources, including lakes and dams, are expected to evaporate more rapidly due to regional warming, thus heightening the nation’s reliance on groundwater. As demand for water increases, groundwater is often perceived as a more accessible supply.

However, groundwater is not an infinite resource. Recharge primarily occurs during rainy seasons; diminished rainfall translates to lower aquifer replenishment. Additionally, heavy downpours during severe droughts may negatively impact groundwater quality as water swiftly permeates through dry soil, bypassing critical natural filtration.

Over-extraction from underground aquifers can lead to depletion. Factors such as population growth and urbanization further exacerbate these pressures.

How the law will change

Currently, individuals can access groundwater by hiring a service to drill boreholes on their property. The National Groundwater Archive, managed by the Department of Water and Sanitation, contains close to 300,000 records of geosites (geological sites), mainly boreholes, along with a few springs and other sites.

About 80,000 to 100,000 new boreholes are drilled each year, with many of them not recorded in the archive.

Moreover, it is unclear whether these boreholes are for commercial, domestic, agricultural, or industrial purposes. Many boreholes may either run dry or be repurposed over time. What is clear is that a significantly higher number of boreholes are drilled annually compared to those officially logged.

The new regulations will require that anyone who drills a borehole must register it with the government and maintain accurate records of their water extraction.

These draft regulations stipulate that borehole siting should follow best practices, and only registered drillers may perform drilling operations. Geohydrological reports must be submitted to the archive.

In addition, municipalities will be responsible for implementing strategies to prevent aquifer contamination and for monitoring water quality, as mines, commercial farms, and poorly managed sanitation can cause irreversible damage to groundwater.

Furthermore, the regulations aim to ensure equitable access by mandating municipalities to manage groundwater resources essential for residents.

What could go wrong

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

However, based on my 25 years of research in this area, I argue that several challenges still need to be addressed.

Firstly, the government has not effectively communicated the new regulations to the public.

Currently, small-scale groundwater users (for instance, private homeowners using water solely for personal purposes) are not obligated to obtain a license for their boreholes under the Water Act.

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

Failure to comply could result in criminal charges, including possible imprisonment for up to five years or substantial fines.

This places a significant financial burden and an extensive paperwork requirement on users of limited groundwater volumes. Additionally, the department lacks sufficient personnel to verify reported borehole data or monitor compliance with the new regulations.

Secondly, the proposed regulations do not adequately consider the differing risks that various borehole users pose to aquifers. Homes utilizing minimal water volumes have lower instances of over-extraction and contamination compared to large-scale users.

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

Fourthly, the regulations do not sufficiently address climate change, failing to take into account the increasing drought risks faced by South African towns in extremely arid regions.

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

Next steps

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

Draft regulations in South Africa should undergo public scrutiny before being enacted into law, allowing citizens to express their views. The government will then review feedback and make necessary adjustments to ensure better quality, legitimacy, and enforceability of the regulations.

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

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

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.