Written by: Abigail Oellermann, GEOSS (abi@geoss.co.za) Download Article Background: Water scarcity in South Africa Water is a critical resource, especially in areas facing scarcity and increasing demand such as a semi-arid country like South Africa. Ensuring sustainable water management practices is crucial for both current needs and future growth. A key component of effective water […]
Posted on 30 June 2024 under Groundwater Fundamentals, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREWritten by Marige Carstens (GEOSS South Africa (Pty) Ltd) “There is a real and urgent need to deal with water losses due to invasive alien trees in our catchments in a consistent and long-term manner.” – Richard Bugan, Hydrogeologist for The Nature Conservancy in South Africa. A case study on the effect of Alien Clearing […]
Posted on 24 June 2024 under Case Studies, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREThe risks of borehole drilling to nearby structures Can drilling a borehole crack my house? Groundwater drilling is a critical process for accessing subterranean water reserves and involves various techniques tailored to geological conditions and the type of borehole required. Common methods for borehole drilling include: (1) cable tool drilling, which is one of the […]
Posted on 14 May 2024 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREWritten by Lincoln Jordan We break down the different parts of water level loggers and what they are used for as well as tips and tricks to read water level loggers. Sensors: What is a sensor A sensor is a device or element designed to detect and measure various physical properties, responding to changes by […]
Posted on 10 April 2024 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREWater resource governance in South Africa All water uses according to the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998) need to be authorised and this is enforced by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The National Water Act is a legislative document that has become the bedrock of the nation’s approach to water […]
Posted on 6 February 2024 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREWritten by Shane Teek – GEOSS South Africa (Pty) Ltd (14 December 2022) There are many fields of Earth Science, and many of these fields overlap with engineering problems. Examples of such scenarios include the geotechnical design of structures, the development of groundwater supply, or the characterisation of contaminants and the development of a remedial […]
Posted on 14 January 2023 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREWritten by Kes Murray Many boreholes get over-pumped, leading to pump failure/burnout, borehole clogging, impacts on other groundwater users and spring flows, and even land subsidence. While this is usually only discussed when a neighbouring land owner drills new boreholes or when large infrastructure investments are lost due to yield drops after 2 months […]
Posted on 29 September 2022 under Groundwater Fundamentals, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREWritten by Shane Teek & Dr Charles MacRobert A tailings storage facility (TSF) at Jagersfontein failed between approximately 6 AM on Sunday 11 September 2022 causing an environmental catastrophe that is still unfolding. The dam burst, flooding the town and causing families to lose their homes, numerous hospitalisations and significant loss of life. Images […]
Posted on 23 September 2022 under Case Studies, Knowledge Hub, News.
READ MOREWritten by Reuben Lazarus With the threat of Day zero still looming in parts of South Africa, the question of getting a borehole in your backyard is still on the mind of many concerned citizen wanting to secure their water supply. Whether this is for drinking water, filling up swimming pools or garden irrigation, […]
Posted on 29 July 2022 under Groundwater Fundamentals, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREUnderstanding the National Water Act: Section 27 In this article, we are going to explain the process of getting a Water Use Licence (WULA) in accordance with the National Water Act and why section 27 (motivation) is important. Once a borehole has been sited and drilled, yield and quality testing been completed and the WULA […]
Tags: WULA
Posted on 29 June 2022 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
Groundwater, aquifers and boreholes This article first appeared in Fresh Quarterly. The Water and irrigation issue 16: 2020 – 03. Written by Anna Mouton What do half the people and half the crops on earth have in common? Their survival depends on groundwater. Only about 2.5% of all water on earth is fresh. […]
Posted on 1 June 2022 under Groundwater Fundamentals, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREMy research on borehole drilling, good borehole construction and well efficiency After attending the 2020 workshop “Groundwater: Setting the standards – Borehole Drilling; Pumping Tests and Monitoring”, hosted by The International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) South Africa held November 2020 – I started my own research on borehole well efficiency and clogging. This was as […]
Posted on 15 May 2022 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREBy Kes Murray Attending the 11th International Symposium on Managed Aquifer Recharge (ISMAR 11) in California, USA, 2022: A Hydro geologists perspective In April 2022, I had the pleasure of making the trip over to the United States of America to attend and present at ISMAR 11 in Long Beach, California. The International Symposium on […]
Tags: Managed aquifer recharge
Posted on 15 May 2022 under Interesting Groundwater Topics, Knowledge Hub.
Written by: Julian Conrad A question many people ask is where do small towns get their water supply from? Today we will answer that question through the case study of one of our latest projects, a town that battled drought for many years. Merweville is a special and charming little town (see Figure 1) located […]
Posted on 3 March 2022 under Case Studies, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREPreviously we have written about groundwater impact assessments contaminated land and discussed how humans have created contamination that occurs in the past, present and future. Read the article here Movies that depict famous groundwater contamination cases In this article, we will delve a bit deeper into water contamination that has occurred in the past. Due […]
Posted on 22 February 2022 under Case Studies, Knowledge Hub.
READ MOREGoodness I am impressed, I definitely did not expect the report today already.
Thanks for getting it to us so quickly.