Borehole Maintenance

If you rely on a borehole water supply on your smallholding then keeping it maintained is extremely important.

With regular borehole maintenance check-ups you can not only extend the working life of the borehole but also maintain its efficiency and borehole yield.

Many smallholders believe firmly in DIY, but don’t try to service your own borehole.

It’s tempting to try and carry out regular servicing to save costs. However, this can, and has led to people doing almost irreversible damage to their borehole water supply.

Borehole contractors have both specialist knowledge and equipment to keep private water supply systems fully operational and water supplies safe from contamination.

Prevention is always better than cure. Borehole experts tell us that a borehole installation is a lot like a car. If you leave something that’s small and easily fixable it often becomes larger and much more expensive problem later down the line.

You should always inspect all parts of your borehole regularly, including the catchment area to make sure there is no interference or damage. If you find any defects or have any concerns you should contact a drilling contractor for advice and the steps required to fix it.

If you’re using your borehole water as drinking water this is doubly important as by ignoring problems you may be putting your own or families health at risk.

Ideally the water should be tested for bacteria, nitrates/nitrites and any contaminants of local concern. Other typical additional tests are those for iron, manganese, water hardness, sulfides and other water constituents.

Water testing should also be carried out any time there is a change in the taste, odour, or appearance of the borehole water, or if a problem occurs such as a broken well cap or a new contamination source.

When you decide to get your borehole serviced or need some annual maintenance you should only ever use qualified professionals. Some key considerations are:

• Does the contractor have their own specialist equipment to carry out the job properly?
• Are they registered with the Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa?
• Ask the borehole drilling contractor for references and names of previous customers they have dealt with.
• Ask for a breakdown of the maintenance / service tasks involved so you can get different quotes from different contractors and compare what you’re actually getting.
• Does the borehole contractor have health & safety procedures in place along with liability insurance?

If you would like more information on what regular borehole maintenance checks include, go to https://bwa.co.za/, which is the very infomrative website for the Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa.