Kloof is built on and around Natal Group sandstone, the same hard, reddish rock that forms the sheer krantzes of the Krantzkloof gorge. Dwyka tillite and dolerite occur in places. Groundwater moves through joints and faults in the sandstone, and the deep gorge cuts drain the ground, so the water table on high stands near the edge can be deep.
Properties here are typically large, wooded and steep, with long driveways, terraced gardens and houses perched on slopes falling towards the gorge or the Molweni valley. Many older homes still run on septic tanks. Getting a rig safely onto the stand and choosing a site clear of the soakaway are the two things that shape most Kloof jobs.
What Is Under Kloof
| Formation | Where it sits | What it means for drilling |
|---|---|---|
| Natal Group sandstone | Under most of Kloof and exposed in the cliffs of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve | Very hard and abrasive when fresh, so drilling is slow. Yield depends on hitting open fractures, and the soft, low-mineral water is usually of reasonable quality. |
| Dwyka tillite | Lower ground and parts of the suburb towards Pinetown, depending on the stand | Drills more evenly than sandstone but often yields less. Its clay weathering needs casing. |
| Dolerite and fault zones | Intrusions and fracture lines that often control the valleys and stream courses | A favoured survey target, since the broken rock along these features can carry more water than the surrounding sandstone. |
Give us your Kloof address, a photo of the driveway if it is steep, and what the water will be used for, and we will put together a quote.
Get a Kloof Borehole QuoteWhat That Means for Your Borehole
- Holes near the gorge may need to go deeper because the krantzes drain the rock and the water level drops towards the edge.
- Access is planned before drilling is booked since steep driveways and terraced gardens decide which rig can reach the spot.
- The septic tank sets a no-go zone so the borehole is sited uphill of and well away from any soakaway.
Where We Work Around Kloof
- Emberton
- Everton
- Forest Hills
- Kloof Country Club area
- Stands bordering Krantzkloof Nature Reserve
- Old Main Road and Kloof village
- Wyebank
- Winston Park
What to Watch For Here
Steep stands make access the first question. A drilling rig is heavy and needs a reasonably level pad to work from. On Kloof's sloping properties we check driveway gradient, turning space and the ground near retaining walls, and may need to level a platform or use a compact rig. Drilling water and spoil are managed so they do not wash down the slope.
Older septic systems can contaminate shallow water. Many established Kloof homes use septic tanks and soakaways rather than sewer connections. A borehole sited downhill or close to one risks bacterial and nitrate contamination. We locate the system first, keep the hole well away and uphill where possible, and grout the top of the casing so surface water cannot run down.
What the Water Is Used For
- Irrigating large terraced gardens on Emberton and Everton stands
- Maintaining indigenous planting on properties bordering the nature reserve
- Backup water when outer west supply is interrupted for days
- Filling pools on big family properties without drawing on mains
- Keeping ponds and water features full on larger wooded properties
Wellpoint or Borehole?
No, for almost every property. Kloof sits on hard sandstone with thin soils and a water table that is typically deep, especially on the higher stands near the gorge. There is very little sandy, saturated ground for a wellpoint to draw from. A properly sited, drilled borehole is the only realistic route to groundwater here.
Approval and Abstraction
Kloof falls under eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. Municipal requirements differ across KwaZulu-Natal. eThekwini is reported to require a borehole to be registered with the municipality once drilling is complete, and its Water By-law prohibits any connection between a borehole system and the municipal supply unless backflow is prevented. Msunduzi, KwaDukuza and Umdoni set their own requirements, so confirm the current position with the municipality before the rig arrives. Separately, the National Water Act governs how much you may abstract: reasonable domestic use generally falls under Schedule 1, and in 2026 the Department of Water and Sanitation confirmed that households using borehole water for reasonable, non-commercial domestic purposes do not need to register nationally. Commercial, agricultural and larger abstraction may need registration or a water use authorisation, and draft national groundwater regulations published for comment in December 2025 may add obligations once finalised. Rules change, so confirm the current position before drilling.
Related Services
For the drilling process itself, the geology across the wider area and how a quote is put together, see Borehole Drilling Durban.
Nearby Areas
Borehole Prices in This Area
Drilling is charged per metre, so depth drives the total. The ranges below are framed for local ground conditions and access.
| Item | Indicative range | What moves it locally |
|---|---|---|
| Drilling, per metre | R500 - R1,200 /m | Fresh Natal Group sandstone and dolerite are hard and wear bits; tillite drills more steadily. The mix your hole meets decides where the rate lands. |
| uPVC casing, installed, per metre | R400 - R700 /m | Casing covers the weathered top and any clayey tillite. In hard sandstone the cased length is often short. |
| Mobilisation and site establishment | R2,500 - R9,000 | Slopes, gorge-side stands and access through older suburbs move this; a site visit settles it. |
| Water survey | R5,000 - R12,000 | Targets structure rather than depth. Worth most where yield is fracture-dependent. |
| Yield testing | R3,500 - R15,000 | Establishes the sustainable rate that pump selection depends on. |
| Pump, supplied and installed | R15,000 - R45,000 | Greater depth means more head, which means a larger pump and heavier cable. |
| Storage and booster | R12,000 - R35,000 | Needed wherever peak demand exceeds the borehole's sustainable rate. |
| Typical complete project | R60,000 - R190,000+ | Everything above, excluding treatment, which depends entirely on the water analysis. |
These are indicative ranges, not a quotation. They are compiled from published South African supplier and contractor pricing to give you a starting point for budgeting. They are not our rate card, and no figure here is a commitment.
Treat them as a broad guide only. Published borehole pricing in South Africa varies enormously - 2026 guides quote per-metre drilling rates for KwaZulu-Natal ranging from about R320/m to R1,500/m, a spread of more than four to one - because depth, geology, access, specification, distance and fuel costs all move the number. Depth in particular is not known until the hole is finished. Figures generally exclude VAT unless noted, and change over time. Only an itemised written quote against your actual site means anything.
Kloof Borehole FAQs
Can a rig get onto a very steep Kloof property?
Often it can, but it takes planning. We look at the driveway gradient, surface strength, turning space and whether there is a level enough spot to set up near a good drilling target. Sometimes a small platform has to be prepared, or a compact rig used instead of a truck-mounted one.
Where access is genuinely impossible, we will say so at the site visit rather than attempt something unsafe. In those cases a different spot on the stand, closer to the driveway, is sometimes the workable compromise.
Why are boreholes near Krantzkloof often deeper?
The gorge cuts deep into the sandstone, and groundwater drains towards it through the rock's fractures. On stands close to the edge, the water level can therefore sit lower than on flatter ground away from the cliffs.
We do not quote a fixed depth for any stand, since it depends on the fractures intersected. The survey and the first metres of drilling give the best guide.
Is my septic tank a problem for a borehole?
Only if the borehole is too close to it or downhill of it. Soakaways release effluent into the ground on purpose, and bacteria and nitrates can travel through soil and along fractures in the sandstone to a nearby well.
We map the tank and drain before choosing a site, keep a safe separation, and fit a sanitary seal at the top of the casing. Testing for bacteria and nitrate before drinking is still wise.
Do I need permission from the nature reserve or neighbours?
Not as a rule for a borehole on your own private stand. If your property borders Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, it is good practice to keep the rig, spoil and drilling water well inside your boundary and away from drainage lines into the reserve.
Some Kloof complexes and estates have their own rules about contractors, working hours and boreholes, so check with the body corporate or HOA before booking a drilling date.
DRILLING IN KLOOF?
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