Abstract
Wetlands in Lesotho are at the headwaters of some shared river basins like the Orange-Senqu River basin. These wetlands are threatened by various anthropogenic activities which are compromising their water quality. This study assessed the water quality status of the Khubelu wetland and stream using various water quality parameters to determine its suitability for domestic use, irrigation, and livestock watering. This was a preliminary research study on the suitability of the stream water for various uses in the study area. Calcium was the most concentrated cation in the stream (8.20 mg/L to 16.8 mg/L), followed by magnesium (7.29 mg/L to 12.51 mg/L), with sodium and potassium showing minimum values. The chemical oxygen demand values were in the range of 48 to 160 mg/L. All parameters were within the EU and WHO ranges for drinking water, except EC, DO, BOD, COD, and PO4 levels. The Khubelu wetland water quality index (WQI) had a value of 93, whereas the stream WQI value was 107. The sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) values for the wetland and stream were 3.83 and 1.04, respectively, whereas the Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP) ranged from 18.19 to 39.25%. The stream water quality was acceptable for animal watering and crop irrigation, whereas wetland water would be acceptable for animal watering and would present some challenges for crop irrigation purposes due to the magnesium hazard it poses. The implications for the management of the wetland are discussed.
Highlights
Received: 6 December 2021Wetlands remain a vital ecosystem in areas where they are present because of the services they provide to the surrounding communities and the environment
The stream water quality was acceptable for animal watering and crop irrigation, whereas wetland water would be acceptable for animal watering and would present some challenges for crop irrigation purposes due to the magnesium hazard it poses
The sodium Adsorption Ratio increased downstream of the wetland from 3.42 to 4.62 but decreased in the stream (1.04). These results showed that the wetland and stream water are not likely to affect the plants and soil which are irrigated with them
Summary
Received: 6 December 2021Wetlands remain a vital ecosystem in areas where they are present because of the services they provide to the surrounding communities and the environment. Wetlands act as sinks for contaminants including nutrients, sediments, and organic and inorganic compounds that have been transported to them from various sources [1]. They improve the quality of water, eliminating contaminants through various processes mediated by the vegetation and microbial populations they host [2,3,4]. An important aspect of wetlands is their closeness to other aquatic systems such as streams and lakes, which may serve as sources of potable water to the population. According to Seelig and DeKeyser [5], if a wetland is compromised, its ability to purify water and perform other ecosystem functions will eventually be affected
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