Guides · Boreholes & water supply
Tokai takes its name from Tokaj, a range of hills in Hungary. Its oldest building, Tokai Manor House, dates from the 1790s and was declared a national monument in 1961. In the mid-1880s Joseph Storr Lister, the Conservator of Forests, laid out the Tokai Arboretum beside it, the beginning of a forestry industry in South Africa. The suburb itself came much later: Tokai was built in the late 1940s, partly to house soldiers coming home from the Second World War.
Today Tokai and neighbouring Constantia are known for big gardens under the mountain. If you water yours from a borehole or wellpoint, or you're thinking of sinking one, there are City rules that decide how it may be connected. Most of them exist for one reason: to keep untreated groundwater out of the pipes you drink from.
The City's rules for boreholes and wellpoints
- Notice before you drill. The City's Water By-law says no borehole, well or wellpoint may be sunk unless the City has had at least 14 days' written notice.
- Register it and put up the sign. It must be registered with the City, and the sign the City provides, free of charge, must be displayed where it can be seen. Registration is done by email to water@capetown.gov.za.
- Meter it. National regulations require borehole use to be metered and records kept for inspection.
- Keep it separate from City water. Water from any other source may not be connected to a house's plumbing without the City's prior written approval. Where a property has both, there may be no interconnection between the two, and the pipework must be colour-coded and labelled.
- Label the taps. A tap that delivers non-drinking water needs a weatherproof notice saying the water is unsuitable for domestic use.
- Use a qualified plumber. The by-law requires plumbing work to be done by a qualified or accredited plumber.
When the City supply drops
Tokai and Constantia are not immune to supply problems. In May 2023 residents of both suburbs had little or no water for a time because of a restriction in the supply to the reservoir that serves them, and in December 2023 a major pipe burst closed roads in Constantia Heights.
When the water comes back, air and loose sediment come with it. Open an outside cold tap first and let it run until it's clear. If taps keep spluttering, the water stays discoloured, or the geyser starts dripping from its overflow once the pressure returns, call us and we'll find out why.
A borehole pump is electrical work too
A borehole pump is a motor working outdoors, often in a damp pump housing. It should be on a properly protected circuit, with cabling suited to where it runs. When you sell, the fixed wiring to it is part of what the electrical certificate looks at. Here's what the electrical certificate covers in Constantia, Tokai and Bergvliet.
How we work in Tokai and Constantia
Before any work starts, you get a photographed report, recorded on site in our own app, with the cause of the problem and an itemised quote. If you're selling, we arrange the plumbing, electrical, gas and beetle certificates in one visit. Here's how a transfer runs with us.
We work across the Southern Suburbs and the South Peninsula on one flat call-out rate, Tokai and Constantia included.
Common questions
Do I need to register my borehole or wellpoint in Cape Town?
Yes. The City must get at least 14 days' written notice before it is sunk, it must be registered with the City (by email to water@capetown.gov.za), and the City's free sign must be displayed on the property.
Can I connect my borehole to the plumbing in my house?
Not without the City's prior written approval. Where a property has both borehole and City water, there may be no interconnection between them, and the pipework must be colour-coded and labelled.
Does a borehole need a meter?
Yes. National regulations require borehole use to be metered, with records kept for inspection.
Do you cover Tokai and Constantia?
Yes. We work across the Southern Suburbs and South Peninsula on one flat call-out rate, Tokai and Constantia included.