Interesting Groundwater Topics

The 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 […]

Written 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 […]

Water 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 […]

Written 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 […]

Understanding 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 […]

My 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 […]

By 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 […]

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 […]

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!

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 […]