Do I Need ZINWA Permission To Sink or Drill A Borehole in Zimbabwe?

Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe is looking forward to your call or WhatsApp Message.

Please feel free to leave a message on our WhatApp number or alternatively please call us and we will be able to help you straight away. If you would prefer, send us an email with your details and an outline of your enquiry and we will be pleased to come back to you. We respond to all enquiries usually within 24 hours, but guarantee within 48 hours.

Our Contact Numbers Are:
Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe Sales: +263 77 389 8979 and +263 71 961 3479.


The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) is a wholly Government owned entity tasked with managing the country’s water resources. 

The Authority falls under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Climate and it was established in 2000 following the promulgation of the Zinwa Act and the Water Act.

What is a water abstraction agreement?

A water abstraction agreement is a contract that any person, entity or organisation that needs a reservation for their use of raw water from Zinwa managed or State dams enters into with Zinwa for the provision of his or her water requirements

Why is an agreement required?

Water abstraction agreements allow ZINWA to effectively plan the allocation of limited water resources available in its storage reservoirs to meet the competing needs of water users. The agreement forms the contract which spells the obligations of ZINWA in supplying the raw water and that of the water user who pays for the services rendered.

Who needs to get a water abstraction agreement?

In terms of the Water Act, anyone using raw water for purposes other than primary purposes should have a water abstraction agreement. This includes irrigating farmers, mines, local Authorities, agricultural estates and industries. In addition, Statutory Instrument 206 of 2001 compels everyone using water from Zinwa managed dams to have an agreement when it says;

“No surface water permit shall be required of a person who wishes to abstract surface water from water storage works vested in the State or the National Water Authority for any purpose mentioned in paragraph (a), but such person must enter into an abstraction agreement with the National Water Authority in terms of subsection (6) of section 39of the Act.

How does one get an agreement?

Any person wishing to use water from Zinwa managed or State dams should approach the respective ZINWA Catchment office from which they would want to abstract water and lodge an application for water stating the intended use of the water, their physical address, the amount of water required, point of abstraction and crop intended for irrigation in the case of farmers.
Do I Need ZINWA Permission To Sink or Drill A Borehole in Zimbabwe?
Do I Need ZINWA Permission To Sink or Drill A Borehole in Zimbabwe?
If Zinwa, after considering the application is satisfied that there is enough water in their dams to meet the applicant’s needs, the two parties will then enter into a water abstraction agreement.

How does the agreement system work?

Once a water abstraction agreement is entered into, ZINWA will reserve the full allocation as requested by the user in its dams and releases the water as per the water user’s water orders from time to time until the full allocation is exhausted. The agreement holder becomes exclusively entitled to the allocation specified in the agreement which they are assured to get and the water cannot be released to any other water user. 

The user is also expected to install, at his own cost, a meter or any other acceptable measuring device to measure his consumption and adherence to his allocation. Farmers wishing to abstract water from ZINWA managed dams are encouraged to work closely with their extension officers or other people with appropriate expertise to help them fully appreciate the water requirements for different crops.

This helps them in coming up with proper water requirements when applying for agreements.

What is the purpose of ZINWA’s regulation of groundwater?

Zinwa’s regulation of groundwater resources is part of its mandate to assist the Minister in the management planning and development of the country’s water resources. If you check the water Act of 1998, section 6(1) (General functions of the Minister) some of the Minister’s functions are stated as being “to develop policies to guide the orderly and integrated planning of the optimum development utilisation and protection of the Country’s water resources in the national interest. 

Zinwa regulates groundwater to ensure the Minister knows what’s going on with regards to groundwater resources, which is quite delicate and needs lots of expertise to monitor and even correct anomalies that might arise from time to time in the sector.

Why should boreholes be registered for a fee when borehole water does not require treatment and reticulation costs over and above the fact that access to water is a human right?

Boreholes should be registered for a fee to enable Sub catchment Councils to sustain the field operations of physically visiting borehole owners in their areas to check and monitor if the owners are using the borehole water for the purposes declared in the borehole registration forms. 

This helps ensure that the information collected by the Sub catchment councils during the borehole registration process info which will be passed on to Zinwa and to the Minister, does not get distorted. 

For instance, one might register their borehole for domestic consumption but use the water for bulk water trading, the amount of water being abstracted will be more than what will be in the database, to avoid that mismatch Sub catchment council offices have to visit borehole owners once every quarter to monitor the actual water usage from drilled boreholes and to enforce compliance hence the borehole registration fee which is a once off payment.

Is ZINWA responsible for regulating the operations of private borehole drillers?

Zinwa is not responsible for regulating the operations of private drillers in Zimbabwe. Zinwa once got an instruction to register drillers in Zimbabwe but has long stopped doing so in 2013 as it has no legal stand on to resist other drillers when it is also one of the drillers. So Zinwa is not responsible for regulating the operations of private drillers in Zimbabwe. 

Currently, no law gives Zinwa such powers.

Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe is looking forward to your call or WhatsApp Message.

Please feel free to leave a message on our WhatApp number or alternatively please call us and we will be able to help you straight away. If you would prefer, send us an email with your details and an outline of your enquiry and we will be pleased to come back to you. We respond to all enquiries usually within 24 hours, but guarantee within 48 hours.

Our Contact Numbers Are:
Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe Sales: +263 77 389 8979 and +263 71 961 3479.




The Cost or Prices For Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe:


Please Note: Prices provided here act as a guide only, they may be different at the time of contacting the contractor. Whilst due care has been taken to ensure the authenticity of the above list, the clients are encouraged to practice due diligence and ask for references before they engage a specific contractor.

This website is owned by Borehole Drilling In Zimbabwe.We offer FREE expert advice to property owners who wish to or have boreholes drilled at their properties. We also work with pre-screened and trusted borehole drilling contractors who subscribe to quality workmanship and set standards of professional service.

Borehole Drilling In Zimbabweis meant to be a one-stop platform where clients can easily find professional borehole drilling and maintenance contractors. Of late, many property owners have been crying foul over poor and dishonesty service; from some contractors. This may be a case of lack of information on the part of the client or truly dishonest service on the part of the contractor.

This guide and our free expert advisory services will serve to solve both these problems.

Request A Quote:

If you have further questions, contact our friendly team today they will be more than happy to assist.

Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe Sales: +263 77 389 8979 and +263 71 961 3479.

Your Link To The Best Borehole Drilling Companies in Zimbabwe!

Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe brings together the best borehole drilling companies in Zimbabwe, Manufacturers of Drilling, Pumping, Control and Ancillary Equipment; Drilling and Installation Contractors; and Professional consultants from the groundwater industry In Zimbabwe.

Members of Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe benefit from being part of a network of individuals and companies who are committed to upholding the minimum standards of practice and who offer complementary products and services. If you are an end-user of groundwater, whether on a farm, or in a residential garden, then browse our website (Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe) and get in touch with the Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe. We are in the business of providing excellent information to you, so that you can get many years of sustainable water from your Borehole in Zimbabwe.

avatar
BDZ Sales Team Online
Borehole Drilling in Zimbabwe Is An Online Media Resource Specialized In Delivering Up-To-Date Borehole Drilling and Water-Related News in Zimbabwe. BDZ Sales Team
Connect via WhatsApp