Abstract
Groundwater is a critical water resource in many peri-urban areas without municipal water supply, a common situation globally, but especially in Africa. These areas contain multiple water pollution risks from various human activities, including small industry, dumping, stock and pet animals, and pit latrines. Stinkwater village, 40 km north of Pretoria in Gauteng Province, that has only partial municipal water supply, was sampled for water quality from municipal taps, boreholes and open hand-dug wells. The water quality varied greatly, with few obvious geographic or geochemical correlations, other than high bacterial counts in the open wells. The key health concerns were nitrate, fluoride and coliform bacteria (including E. coli), some at dangerous levels. Relatively subtle variations in land use, including water use and pollution sources, as well as vadose zone character, including depth to water table, permeability and recharge pathways, could account for much of the variation in water quality. The study reveals the risk of relying upon a single water quality analysis to determine groundwater conditions for an area. In areas with multiple possible pollution sources, thorough groundwater monitoring is needed to determine the usability of water resources.
Highlights
Use of groundwater as a water supply, for agricultural, industrial and domestic use, has been on the rise globally (Villholth and Giordano, 2007)
This paper aims to highlight the need for regular monitoring and simple, accessible reporting, by showing the great variations in groundwater quality in a small, peri-urban area where residents are dependent upon groundwater for water supply
The main health concerns are related to high levels of nitrate, fluoride and coliform bacteria, in concentrations such that chronic, acute and potentially fatal effects could occur
Summary
Use of groundwater as a water supply, for agricultural, industrial and domestic use, has been on the rise globally (Villholth and Giordano, 2007). This is due to the overuse and declining quality of surface water resources, as well as improvements in understanding and engineering methods to access groundwater resources. With increased use of groundwater and the increase in human population and activities, groundwater is subject to declining levels and quality in areas as far afield as Korea (Lee et al, 2005) and India (Naik et al, 2008). The situation in Africa is similar, and subject to even more intense pressures. The stress on water resources can only increase and as stated over 10 years ago: The challenges of achieving sustainable development will be formidable in Africa.’ (Cohen, 2006 p. 63)
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