Drilling and Construction Process of a borehole in South Africa: According to the Minimum Standards and Guidelines for Groundwater Development in Water Services and Sanitation of South Africa, the following are the recommended steps for borehole drilling:
- Step 1: Borehole Siting: This activity entails the scientific search for and location of a drilling target which is assessed to have the greatest chance for success. The responsibility for this task must fall to a team of qualified and experienced personnel in the service of the Executive Agency. This team must be capable of successfully integrating the earth sciences of geophysics, geology and hydrogeology.
- Step 2: Borehole Drilling: This activity entails the drilling of a water supply borehole and its proper construction and development. It must be accomplished by a suitably experienced drilling contractor functioning under the direct supervision of the Executive Agency team responsible for the siting of the borehole.
- Borehole Testing: This activity provides data for an evaluation of the yield potential of the borehole and the groundwater resource from which it draws its water. The testing must be accomplished by a suitably experienced testing contractor again functioning under the direct supervision of the Executive Agency team responsible for the siting of the borehole and the supervision of its drilling and construction.
- Borehole Utilisation Recommendations: This must be based primarily, but not exclusively, on an analysis and evaluation of the borehole testing data and a quality assessment of the groundwater. The responsibility for this activity must fall to the same Executive Agency team involved with the borehole siting, drilling and testing activities.
