Groundwater as an alternative source to irregular surface water in the O’Kiep area, Namaqualand, South Africa

Publication date: Available online 28 September 2019Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/CAuthor(s): I.G. Erdogan, E. Fosso-Kankeu, S.K.O. Ntwampe, F.B. Waanders, N. Hoth, A. RandAbstractWater insecurity is a growing concern globally and the role of groundwater and aquifers in buffering the effects of climate variability and change is increasingly acknowledged due to extended periods of drought in arid regions. Water security can only be fully realised with a more robust understanding of groundwater as a water resource, especially in the O’Kiep area which is in Namaqualand, South Africa. Results of analyses of groundwater samples (n = 8) indicated that pH values met acceptable standards for drinking, while the total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC) were however not within the recommended limits. The chemical composition of the groundwater indicated Eh values -34.1 to -87.2 mV, indicative of reducing geochemical conditions with the most abundant ions being Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, F-, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+. Furthermore, some of the ions were not within the guidelines, i.e. Cl-, SO42+, Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, but all the potential toxic elements, namely: Al, S, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, Ni, Se, V, Zn and CN, were within acceptable values for drinking groundwater as recommended by the SANS241-1 (2015) and WHO (2011). Hydrogeochemical characteristics of the water indicated that the continuous consumption of the groundwater without pretreatmen...
Source: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts ABC - Category: Science Source Type: research