Guest: Alex Ackron, Founder & CEO, Spritza Boreholes and Water Solutions
In this conversation, Jonathan chats with Alex Ackron - Founder & CEO, Spritza Boreholes and Water Solutions - and asks straight questions South Africans are asking right now: do we really need boreholes and backup systems in Johannesburg - and how do they work, end-to-end? Alex breaks down the infrastructure issues, permitting, drilling, filtration, yields, costs, timelines and the staged path from municipal backup to full off-grid water.
The State of Johannesburg’s Water Infrastructure
Jonathan:Alex is going to give us a rundown on the Joburg water situation and why boreholes have become so popular. So tell us - do we really need help with water?
Alex:Johannesburg has huge infrastructural problems at the moment - we see it every day. There are roughly 12,000 kilometres of pipes and maintenance is far behind; many assets are past useful life. Rain doesn’t solve that - the challenge is getting water to homes. That’s why demand is up for both municipal backup systems and boreholes.
Why Boreholes - and Why Now?
Jonathan:So it’s not about watering the garden and filling the pool?
Alex:No - it’s about household reliability. People need a dependable supply for daily living, not just irrigation.
Turnkey, Start-to-Finish
Jonathan:Spritza is turnkey - start to finish?
Alex:Yes. We began as an exploration drilling team in mining - drilling big, accurate holes - which is the right foundation for a successful borehole. If you get the hole wrong, you’ll pay for it later with filtration and performance. Getting the borehole right from day one matters.
Permits & Applications
Jonathan:Legislation now requires an application to the municipality?
Alex:Yes. The process has improved recently, but it’s still detailed. Having the required documents ready is the main bottleneck. If you submit complete information timeously, approvals move faster - we help facilitate this.
Finding Water: It’s About Geology, Not “Finding Water”
Jonathan:You start with the geo-surveys?
Alex:We typically use magnetic surveys. You’re not “finding water”; you’re mapping geological breaks or formation changes that carry water between rocks. You pick the best positions where an aquifer is most likely to be productive.
A Recent Installation - Step by Step
Jonathan:Tell us about a recent installation - what did it include and why was it needed?
Alex:The client had frequent outages and wanted reliability. First, we took a water sample directly from the borehole and sent it to a laboratory for a comprehensive test. From the results, we specified a bank of filters tailored to that water.
How Often Should You Test?
Jonathan:Do you test once or regularly?
Alex:Filters are specified to the actual sample, so that initial test is critical. Borehole water often comes from deep (±100 m), so quality changes slowly. Pollution takes time to reach those depths. One good baseline test, with periodic checks as needed, is usually sufficient.
What the Filters Do
Jonathan:What did the filters eliminate in that case?
Alex:We picked up high turbidity and sediment, so we installed an automated glass media filter that backwashes at night. We added a softener to tackle hardness (improves lathering and protects appliances), a UV unit, one-micron and carbon polishing, plus Cellophos balls to coat pipes and reduce corrosion. A scale-stop unit helps prevent white marks on glass and fittings.
Whole-House vs Garden
Jonathan:Do you filter every litre?
Alex:No. We always separate lines: garden/irrigation is unfiltered; household potable water goes through the filtration bank.
Taste, pH and Emerging Contaminants
Jonathan: How does borehole water taste compared to municipal?
Alex: Filtered borehole water is generally more palatable - there’s no chlorine taste. Johannesburg water trends towards hard with a slightly low pH, so we balance pH and protect pipes with anti-corrosion media. We’ve started seeing nitrates (from fertilisers); above ±12 mg/L is a concern and may require ion-exchange resin or reverse osmosis (RO). RO is effective but produces a waste stream, which must be managed.
Siting & Drilling Done Properly
Jonathan:Where do you place the borehole - still “where the rig fits”?
Alex:Access matters, yes, but the hydrogeological survey guides siting. Proper casing is critical: you must case off the overburden into hard rock to stop collapse and contamination. Cutting corners with simple PVC without correct casing risks long-term failure. Survey data also provides likely depth ranges.
Pumps, Tanks & Solar
Jonathan:Twenty years ago I needed a big pump and an electrical upgrade. Can solar run a borehole now?
Alex:Definitely. Pumps have advanced - submersible borehole pumps are efficient and variable-speed booster pumps adjust RPM to demand (great for mixer taps, efficiency and longevity). Typically the submersible fills a storage tank; the booster only runs when a tap opens.
Getting Started: Five Practical Points & the Build Phases
Jonathan:What are the first five things to know?
Alex:
- Get council approval.
- Understand the system: submersible down the borehole, booster at the tank.
- It’s not one-size-fits-all - lab analysis drives filtration.
- Know depth and expected yield upfront.
- Don’t over-pump - boreholes need recovery time.
Jonathan:And the phases?
Alex:Phase 1: Survey.Phase 2: Drill.Phase 3: Yield test (recommended; skip only if clearly abundant and allocate budget to filtration).Phase 4: Infrastructure - tanks, pumps, plumbing; run the borehole to let it “settle”.Phase 5: Water sample to lab.Phase 6: Install the specified filtration.
Yields, Tanks & Recovery
Jonathan:How do yields translate to everyday use?
Alex:A typical home uses 1,000 - 1,500 litres/day. A 200 L/h borehole easily keeps up. Lower yields can still work with larger tanks and correct duty cycles. Never hammer the borehole every 10 minutes; let it recover. We confirm with yield tests and on-site recovery checks.
Common Misconceptions
Jonathan:What myths do you see often?
Alex:You can drive municipal usage to zero with borehole water - truly off-grid is possible! Another myth is that hardware-store “big blue” filters are enough - without lab analysis and proper specification they often aren’t.
Timeline & Cost
Jonathan:How long and how much?
Alex:Done properly, plan about a month end-to-end. On-site work is typically ±6 days in total (drilling ~1–2 days; infrastructure ~2 days; filtration ~2 days). Budget from ±R130,000 to R200,000 to go fully off-grid, depending on site specifics and filtration needs. Payback can be surprisingly quick - we’ve seen ~18 months where water bills were high.
Staging & Municipal Backup
Jonathan:Not everyone can go off-grid on day one.
Alex:Exactly. A municipal backup system is one of the same phases (tanks, pumps, plumbing). You can add a borehole and filtration later with minimal rework. Staging helps with cash flow.
Complexes, Businesses & Larger Systems
Jonathan:How popular is this in multi-unit developments?
Alex:Very. Complexes, shopping centres and businesses are adopting scaled-up versions - bigger pumps and filtration banks, same principles. We handle projects of any size.
Value, Sustainability & the Bigger Picture
Jonathan:Beyond property value, is there a wider benefit?
Alex:Yes. Boreholes aren’t a “different” water source - they’re a different point in the same hydrological cycle. With proper filtration and responsible use, households reduce strain on municipal infrastructure and, in aggregate, we help clean more water than we consume. Sustainability still matters: free-feeling water isn’t really free - responsible use is essential.
YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/BGWA2hlOtuE?si=8NgH3NAiuIA5_H3v
