Article · 27 Oct 2026

How to protect a borehole pump and solar panels from theft

A borehole pump and its solar panels are some of the most valuable things on a farm, and often the furthest from the house. Protecting them from theft takes layers: make them hard to remove, hard to approach unseen, and quick to report when someone tries.

Layer 1: make the equipment hard to remove

• Panels. Fix panels with anti-theft bolts or security screws, and weld or peen the nut ends on the frame. Mount panels high on a pole or a roof rather than at ground level where they can be lifted off in minutes.
• Pump controller and inverter. Keep them in a locked steel box or a lockable pump house, bolted to the wall.
• Cables. Run cable in conduit and bury it where possible; cut cable is a common loss even when the pump stays.
• The borehole head. A lockable cap or a cage over the head stops the pump being pulled.

Layer 2: make it hard to approach unseen

Thieves choose places where nobody can see them. A fence with a locked gate around the borehole slows them down, and light at night makes them visible. A solar camera with white LEDs that switch on when a person is detected does both: the light comes on and the camera records.

Layer 3: know about it while it is happening

Most boreholes are far from the house, with no Wi-Fi and often no mains power, which is exactly where a solar 4G SIM camera fits. It runs on its own panel and battery and sends a human-detection alert to the phone over 4G. A worker or neighbour can be there in minutes instead of finding an empty pump house the next morning.

Where to put the camera at a borehole

1. Cover the approach, not just the pump.Point the camera along the path or gate that people use to reach the borehole, so it sees faces before they reach the equipment.
2. Mount it high.3 to 4 m up on a pole or the pump house wall, out of reach.
3. Keep the camera’s panel in full sun.On its own bracket, facing the sky, fixed with the same anti-theft bolts as the pump panels.
4. Test 4G at the spot.Boreholes are often in low ground. If the phone loses 4G there, raise the pole or use a different network.

A fixed 4G solar bullet camera on the pump house wall watches one approach with bright white light at night; a solar 4G PTZ camera on a pole can turn to cover the tank, trough and gate. The installation guide covers mounting and fixing the camera itself against theft.

Keep a record

Write down the serial numbers of the pump, controller and panels, and photograph them. Clips from the camera with date and time, and the serial numbers, make a police report far more useful, and help if equipment turns up for sale.

More layouts for gates, stores and fuel are in the farm security guide.