Calculator · four metros
Is a borehole worth it? Payback in your metro
A borehole pays for itself with the municipal water it replaces, and for most homes that is garden water. We combined each metro's weather with its 2026/27 water tariffs to show how long the payback really takes.
By Borehole Payback · updated 24 October 2026
Will a borehole pay for itself?
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Garden water from each metro's average 2021–2025 weather; 2026/27 water and sewage tariffs incl. VAT; pump electricity at R3.50 per kWh. Drilling at R1 000 per metre incl. casing.
What our numbers show
Our calculations, data as of 24 October 2026
- A 60 m borehole with pump, tank and plumbing costs about R94 500 at R1 000 per metre, the middle of what owners report paying for drilling with casing.
- Garden size decides everything. Watering 400 m² from the borehole pays back in 3.8 yrs in Cape Town and 4.8 yrs in Johannesburg; a 100 m² garden needs 24.3 yrs and 31.9 yrs.
- eThekwini is the slowest payback despite the highest tariffs: Durban's rain covers most of a garden's needs, so a borehole replaces less municipal water. A 400 m² garden pays back in 9.8 yrs.
- Pumping costs little: lifting a kilolitre from 60 m and pressurising it uses about 0.61 kWh, roughly R2.15 of electricity, against R50 to R110 for the top blocks of municipal water.
| Cape Town | 7.4 yrs |
| Tshwane (Pretoria) | 8.5 yrs |
| Johannesburg | 8.9 yrs |
| eThekwini (Durban) | 19.8 yrs |
Whole garden watered from the borehole, 15 kl a month indoor use from the municipality, 2026/27 tariffs incl. VAT, pump electricity and R1 000 a year upkeep.
Payback by metro and garden size
Years until a 60 m borehole with pump and tank (R94 500) has paid for itself, when the whole garden is watered from it:
| Metro | 100 m² garden | 250 m² garden | 400 m² garden | 800 m² garden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | 24.3 yrs | 7.4 yrs | 3.8 yrs | 1.8 yrs |
| Johannesburg | 31.9 yrs | 8.9 yrs | 4.8 yrs | 2 yrs |
| Tshwane (Pretoria) | 25.3 yrs | 8.5 yrs | 5.1 yrs | 2.5 yrs |
| eThekwini (Durban) | 77.3 yrs | 19.8 yrs | 9.8 yrs | 3.5 yrs |
15 kl a month of indoor use stays on municipal water. Saving: the municipal water and use-based sewage charges the garden would otherwise add, under 2026/27 tariffs incl. VAT. Costs: pump electricity and R1 000 a year upkeep.
Why garden size decides
Municipal tariffs rise with every block, so the garden water on top of indoor use is the most expensive water you buy. A large garden pushes the bill into the top blocks for months at a time, and a borehole removes exactly those kilolitres. A small garden barely leaves the cheap blocks, and the borehole saves little.
See how much water a garden needs in each metro, what a borehole costs and the 2026/27 tariffs.
Metro of the week: eThekwini (Durban)
A household in eThekwini (Durban) using 30 kl of municipal water a month pays about R2 253 a month for water and sewage under the 2026/27 tariffs. A 60 m borehole watering a 250 m² garden would save about R4 769 a year after pump electricity and upkeep, and pay back in 19.8 years.