The park states that the main camps have drinking water, although it is very mineralised. The wilderness camps do not have potable water and visitors must provide their own drinking water. The page also lists waterholes at Mata Mata, Nossob, Twee Rivieren, and several wilderness camps, showing that water is provided in some areas but not all.

The visitor tips page repeats that the main camps have drinking water, albeit very mineralised, while the wilderness camps do not have potable water and visitors should provide their own drinking water. It also notes waterholes at the main rest camps and several wilderness camps.

"Water is artificially supplied to some waterholes during the dry season (∼40 in the study area)." The study describes that during the late dry season, "surface-water [is] restricted to artificial waterholes and very few natural pans." It notes that rainfall is low and both browse and grazing quality are at their lowest during this period, emphasizing dependence on limited surface water sources.

A SANParks presentation on groundwater quality in Kgalagadi says water quality monitoring is as important as water-level measurements and proposes new production boreholes for the three main rest camps. This supports that park water supply is managed through boreholes rather than abundant natural surface water.

"Water, other than the artificial waterholes, is only available in the riverbeds and pans for short periods after heavy rainfall (Knight, 1995)." During the study, "there were approximately 31 operational water holes located across the river-bed terrain (~1 every 7498 ha) and 16 operational water holes located across the dune terrain (~1 every 81 701 ha)." This shows that long-lasting freestanding water is mainly from artificial waterholes, with natural water being ephemeral.

Since the 1930s a total of 88 waterholes and a number of excavation dams on pans have been constructed within the park. The erection of permanent waterholes was motivated by increased human activity, border fencing, and the erroneous perception that wildlife needed drinking water.

In the far south especially, rain is scarce and natural freestanding water almost entirely absent. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park might be supporting the most genetically healthy and sustainable lion population in southern Africa, indicating lions persist in a landscape where free-standing natural surface water is largely missing.

SANParks notes that the Kgalagadi’s rivers "are predominantly dry, only flowing for short periods after abnormally high rainfall." It adds that plants such as tsama melons are an "essential" resource and "in dry times are the principle source of water" for many animals in this semi-arid ecosystem, highlighting limited availability of natural surface water and reliance on non-freestanding water sources.

In the southern and central parts of the Kalahari Desert, surface water is found only in small, widely scattered waterholes, and surface drainage is nonexistent.

The park guide notes that the two main rivers, the Nossob and Auob, "are mostly dry, only flowing during rare periods of heavy rainfall." It states that their "dry beds, however, provide critical waterholes for wildlife during the dry season," implying that wildlife, including lions, depend on sparsely distributed waterholes rather than continuously available freestanding river water.

The wilderness camps provide little more than shelter and wash water; visitors must supply their food, drinking water, and firewood.

Millennia there has been no surface water in the Kalahari and all the animals and the plants that are in this area have survived because they have adapted to utilize the few drops of water or the moisture as much as possible to survive. Only during the past 90 to 100 years have animals learned that there is permanent water in the waterholes that are provided by boreholes that were sunk in the early 1900s; these artificial waterholes now provide surface water that animals can drink any time of the year.

A Kgalagadi development update states that water for new campsites and chalets at Nossob 'will be obtained from Nossob’s existing boreholes.' This is direct evidence that camp water supply is tied to boreholes.

A nature-travel guide notes that lions and other predators come to specific waterholes such as Polentswa and Kij Kij to drink and hunt, and it advises visitors to take their own drinking water. This supports the idea that drinking water for people is not broadly available as freestanding water across the park.

There haven’t been permanent natural water sources in the region for millennia. Boreholes drilled in the last century now supply waterholes that have become focal points for wildlife. The guide also says that the main camps have water available, while wilderness camps and remote Botswana sites require visitors to bring their own drinking water.

Kgalagadi is divided by two dry riverbeds — the Auob and the Nossob — which converge at Twee Rivieren. These riverbeds are the arteries of the park: roads run along each, waterholes are spaced at intervals, and wildlife concentrates at these waterholes during the dry season. Lion pride activity peaks at the waterholes, indicating that artificial waterpoints are key drinking sites for lions in this arid environment.

The South Africa Specialist page notes that "Wells have been dug to bring water to the surface and these wells attract large numbers of wild animals." It lists multiple camps that "all have a water place for the animals," implying that much of the reliable freestanding water used by wildlife in the park is artificially pumped rather than naturally occurring surface water.

Wildnet writes that the Kgalagadi is "largely waterless for most of the year" and that "animals in the Kgalagadi mainly survive without drinking. This includes the lions, who derive the moisture they need from dew and from the blood of their prey." It further notes that lions have become accustomed to "visiting campsites in the Kgalagadi to search for water in the showers, or to lap up dew on the sides of tents," indicating that extra drinking water sources are limited and opportunistic.

Human interference within the park is kept to a minimum, apart from a few wind pumps filling up waterholes, where game viewing is excellent.

The dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob Rivers form the lifelines of the park, where animals congregate in search of water and shade. Seasonal rains can briefly transform parts of the park, but for most of the year, the environment remains dry and demanding, implying that accessible surface water for wildlife is limited and largely episodic outside artificial waterholes.

Because of the drought, the game is forced to come to the waterholes in the riverbeds. This indicates that in normal dry conditions within Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, free-standing surface water is scarce enough that animals, including predators, rely on a limited number of waterholes for drinking.

A PDF about the park notes that water scarcity is an ongoing challenge and that the Botswana side is engaging in additional boreholes and rain-harvesting strategies to alleviate prolonged water shortages.

Unlike some other parks, even artificially created water basins in Kgalagadi do not attract large herds of animals. Animals living in the park have adapted to drought conditions lasting for most of the year, suggesting that natural free-standing water is limited and wildlife, including lions, must rely on physiological and behavioral adaptations and sporadic or artificial water sources.

The water is pumped from boreholes and can be slightly brackish; there is sufficient running water for cooking and washing/showering, but the author recommends bringing your own drinking water if you dislike the taste.

Today, the riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob lie dry, flowing perhaps once every 100 years. Occasionally, they spring to life after dramatic thunderstorms, but underground water still flows, sustaining grasses and trees and feeding several artificial watering holes where wildlife frequently gathers. This highlights that consistent free-standing water for drinking is mainly at artificial waterholes rather than from natural permanent rivers or lakes.

The article says the wilderness camps do not have drinkable water and that guests must provide their own drinking water, while the main camps have drinking water that is very mineralised. It also lists waterholes at some camps.

Without the water there would not be the animals, seeing that it is a very dry landscape, and so to protect the biome or the environment it is very important to create or supply a good reliable source of water. This statement from a Kgalagadi-focused conservation video underscores that artificial provision of water through waterholes is crucial for sustaining wildlife populations, including lions, in this arid park where natural free-standing water is limited.

The World Bank-hosted document warns against perforation of boreholes and uncontrolled expansion into areas integral to the Kalahari ecosystem. This reinforces that boreholes are a central water-management issue in the region.