Ground water

New boreholes

Application for authority to drill a borehole or sink a commercial well requires the applicant to complete a GW1 form.
Hydro census data reporting from the drilling company requires the applicant to complete a GW2A form.
Requirements for an application to drill a borehole
RDC/Urban Council clearance letter or permission to drill a borehole.
Proof of residence (where the borehole is to be drilled) and an affidavit where the applicant is not the owner of the property.
Sketch map clearly indicating the position of the proposed sites at least 3 sites.
Hydrological Surveyor’s report from a registered or qualified surveyor.
Application fees for borehole for industrial, institutional, irrigation or commercial use.


Existing Boreholes

Application for General/Specific ground water abstraction permit requires the applicant to complete a GW4 form.
Reporting of existing boreholes and wells and registration of existing ground water rights also requires the applicant to complete a GW9 form.

Surface water permits

Application for a surface water abstraction permit requires the applicant to complete a W1 form.
Application for amendment of permit, renewal of permit or extension of temporal or provisional permit requires the applicant to complete a W3 form.
Agricultural Report on application for permit requires the applicant to complete a WR3 form.
Application for right to conduct operations which will interfere with the river bed e.g. sand abstraction requires the applicant to complete a W2 form.

How to acquire a water permit

Surface water permit

Go to your Sub-Catchment offices and get the relevant application forms.
For agricultural use, an agricultural report from a local extension is required upon submission of the application forms.
For mining purposes, a local government mining engineer’s report is required upon submission of application forms
The application form will indicate the amount of water being applied for.
Your Sub-Catchment Council will consider and comment on the application form.
The Sub-Catchment Council submits the application forms, together with its comments, inquire from Save Catchment for further assessment.
For all surface water permit applications, a hydrological report is prepared for by ZINWA and recommendations are made to the Sub-Catchment/Catchment Council.
A consolidated report is then sent to the Catchment Council for final consideration.
It is upon this report that the Catchment Council awards or rejects a permit application.

How to register an existing borehole

Visit your nearest Sub-Catchment Council offices and complete an affidavit on reporting of boreholes and wells and registration of existing underground water.
Follow the same procedure for underground water permit registration as stated above.

How to acquire a ground water permit
Go to your local responsible authority (RDC/Urban council) to get clearance/permission to drill a borehole on land under its jurisdiction Visit Sub-catchment council with the clearance letter and apply for the authority to drill a borehole.
The sub-catchment council submits the application form and clearance letter together with its comments, to sub-catchment council and/or sub-catchment manager.
When the authority to drill is granted drilling should be completed within one year of issue.
On completion of drilling, within one month the applicant should apply for a ground water abstraction permit accompanied with borehole completion report (BCR).
The completed ground water application forms and their comments plus BCR are forwarded to Catchment Manager and/Catchment Chairperson for the permit to be granted.