Ajay Larey

Johané Theron

Groundwater Contamination at Shooting Ranges: Managing the Risk

Heavy metals from shooting ranges pose environmental risks. Learn how lead, antimony and arsenic from ammunition cause groundwater contamination and best management practices to mitigate the threat. Shooting ranges have long been recognized as a potential source of environmental and groundwater contamination due to the build-up of lead in the soil from shooting activities. The extent of this contamination depends on the type of shooting activity.

Is Your Borehole Water Safe to Drink? | Borehole Water Quality & SANS 241 Standards

Learn how to ensure your borehole water is safe to drink. Discover key chemical parameters, SANS 241 standards, testing frequency, and treatment options for safe drinking borehole water.

Don’t Just Drill, Understand the Bigger Picture

The following website article raises critical questions about the process of groundwater development, especially in a water-scarce country like South Africa. It highlights the complexity of groundwater authorisation, the importance of accurate monitoring, and the need for robust management systems. While groundwater offers a potential solution for water security, the current regulatory and infrastructural challenges need to be addressed to ensure sustainable and equitable use. Thus, the feasibility of groundwater development hinges on comprehensive management and stringent regulation, making it a conditional rather than an outright solution.

CHRISTIAN NELL

MARVIN NICHOLAS

JANA OBERHOLZER

Gabrielle McDuling

Ezelna Germeshuisen-Cogho

Philasande Rigala

DANITA HOHNE

Marige Strauss

THOMAS VILJOEN

Mlamli Vundla

Carel Burger

Lusanda Ndungu

Kaylin Erasmus

Lincoln Jordaan

Louis Jonk

Hardy Luttig

Abigail Oellermann

Sam Schoeman

MARTIN VON FINTEL

Albie Charles

In Loving Memory of Manuel Janeiro

Manuel Languitone Janeiro, 56, left us on September 29, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Batanai Janeiro, his children, Josephine, Shantel and Emmanuel.

Groundwater – general guidelines towards monitoring and management (funded by Potatoes South Africa)

The intention is to provide a broad overview of groundwater resources in terms of how it occurs (its distribution across South Africa)
as well as an overview of the complete “life cycle” of groundwater development projects (starting with drilling and on through yield testing; monitoring and all the way to the authorization of the use of groundwater).

Aqeela Parker

Ashleigh Lakshuman

Borehole water: How to get a South African Water Use License (WULA)

Usually, the preparations made for groundwater exploration, drilling, and testing the yield and quality of boreholes culminates in the registration or authorisation of the use of new groundwater. While Section 21 of the National Water Act No. 36 of 1998 guides the groundwater user in terms of the authorization process, there are various aspects that should be taken into consideration.

Sustainable Groundwater Use

South Africa (SA) is a water scarce country that is characterised by extreme climatic conditions and evaporation rates that often exceed precipitation. The country is projected to have a 17% water supply deficit by 2030 (DWS, 2019). This can be mitigated by increasing water efficiency and diversifying water sources. By 2040, alternative sources such as […]

The comprehensive checklist for drilling a borehole

Written by Dale Barrow  Drilling and having a borehole is an asset that should last you at least 10 to 15 years at very little ongoing cost, provided you do everything correctly at the start! If you don’t, it can become a very expensive and time-consuming liability with continual repair or replacement of pumps. The […]

Know your borehole: A hydrogeologist’s perspective

Recognition of groundwater’s contribution to water supply, including garden irrigation, crop irrigation, stock watering, potable and town supply, is ever increasing. This is driven by inconsistent rainfall patterns, climate change and an increase in water demand. With drill rigs of all shapes and sizes running around between drill sites, it is appropriate that we spend some time outlining some important aspects regarding a successful borehole – it goes beyond just selecting the correct drill site!

What is Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and How Does it Work?

By Kes Murray Understanding Groundwater recharging Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), sometimes referred to as Artificial Recharge, is the process by which a water source is intentionally injected or infiltrated into an aquifer. There are a wide variety of reasons for doing this, as well as a range of methods and technologies that are used to […]

Borehole Yield Testing

How to correctly follow a borehole yield test? The South African National Standard for the test pumping of water boreholes (SANS 10299-4:2003) clearly prescribes how the borehole yield testing is to be carried out. Remember the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will only authorise groundwater use if the correct (above) method of borehole yield […]

Contaminated Land: The unsettling legacy of human activity and industrialisation

The land we live, work and walk on is the only one we have and therefore contamination from human activity and industrialisation is a real issue strongly linked to our common past, present and future. It is important to remember that contamination is something that has occurred in the past, is occurring in the present and it will occur in the future. It is therefore crucial that these concerns are addressed.