Groundwater monitoring in Africa.

Groundwater occurs in pores in the bedrock below the surface and represents more than 90% of the earth’s fresh water resources. As a water-scarce country, groundwater is critically important in South Africa as a source of life for humans, livestock, agriculture and industry.

Groundwater is recharged by rainfall that infiltrates through the soil profile down to the groundwater table. The amount of groundwater in storage is huge but the effective recharge is usually less than 3% of rainfall over most South Africa. Sustainable groundwater management is therefore a very important for this finite resource. Aquifer testing and scientific sustainable yield estimation is therefore crucial.

Groundwater is not as prone to pollution as surface water due to the very low rate of movement in the sub-surface as well as the retardation effect of the soil and rock matrix towards pollution. Once polluted, however, it is often impracticable or prohibitively expensive to clean up the effected aquifer.

Figure 1: Groundwater sustainable yield determination.
It is therefore very important to conduct impact assessments and management plans before activities are approved that may negatively affect groundwater quality and quantity (availability). Contact Aquatico for all aspects of groundwater impact assessment, sustainable yield estimation, dewatering design, management plans and monitoring. We can assist with:
  • Groundwater impact assessments
  • Bulk groundwater supply: groundwater exploration, pump testing, sustainable yield calculation
  • Well field design and groundwater supply management
  • Groundwater quality assessment and groundwater monitoring protocol design
  • Groundwater user surveys and hydrocensus
  • Groundwater impact assessments and management plans
  • Numerical modelling: flow and pollution transport in 2D or 3D
  • Groundwater flow and plume migration simulation and prediction
  • Assessments focussing on groundwater closure plans for listed activities
Figure 2: Groundwater pollution impact assessment
Figure 3: Borehole sustainable yield determination.

If you would like more information on our groundwater consulting services, do not hesitate to contact Paul Naude on paul@aquatico.co.za

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