Perceptions on greywater reuse for home gardening activities in two rural villages of Fetakgomo Local Municipality, South Africa

In this study we assess the reuse of greywater for home gardening in two rural communities (Ga-Seroka and Ga-Nkwana) in Limpopo Province, South Africa, using a mixed methods approach (Qualitative and Quantitative). A total of 95 and 87 households were randomly selected in Ga-Seroka and Ga-Nkwana villages, respectively. Field surveys from the selected households were gathered based on structured questionnaire and then analysed using statistical package software. The key findings of the study showed that 66% of the respondents from Ga-Nkwana village reused their greywater for irrigation, as compared to 59% from Ga-Seroka. Thirty nine percent (39%) of Ga-Nkwana and 40% of Ga-Seroka respondents used this water for irrigating fruit trees, whereas 24% and 22% in Ga-Nkwana and Ga-Seroka villages, respectively, used it for irrigating vegetables that are not eaten raw. Many respondents (73% and 85%) in Ga-Nkwana and Ga-Seroka villages respectively, mentioned that, since they are not aware of the problem greywater might cause on the produce, they keep using freshwater whenever is available to reduce the impacts. In this present study, we concluded that although greywater reuse for home garden irrigation is practiced in the two communities, its utilization is still with caution.
Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - Category: Science Source Type: research