Hydrochemical, bacteriological assessment, and classification of groundwater quality in Thulamela Municipality, South Africa: potential health risk

Abstract

Potential effects of anthropogenic activities on different boreholes around Thulamela Municipality, South Africa, were evaluated by quantifying the bacteria indicators and physicochemical parameters during summer, autumn, and winter. The purpose was to determine whether the borehole water in this region is safe for domestic use across the seasons. The concentrations of physicochemical (Temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, and nitrate) and bacteriological (both Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis) contaminants in the borehole water samples were determined using standard microbiology methods. The mean concentration of NO3 for most of the boreholes failed to comply with the recommended guidelines throughout the season. High microbial load of E. coli (2.0 × 101 – 4.6 × 103 CFU/100 ml) and E. faecalis (2.0 × 10° – 6.0 × 102 CFU/100 ml) was recorded in the wet season than in the dry season (0.0 – 7.0 × 102 and 0.0 – 1.0 × 101 CFU/100 ml, respectively). Sanitary inspection and water source classification showed that most boreholes are prone to chemical contaminants during summer and autumn due to rainfall and this correlates with the measured microbial contamination. The result is significantly important because water from these boreholes is used for domestic purposes without treatment and could pose major public health risks to the consumers.