When water turns deadly

Abstract

GROUNDWATER POLLUTION Rural water supply is being extended and improved with great urgency as authorities strive to provide clean drinking water to all. In remote areas, groundwater is often cited as the cheapest and most sustainable form of water supply to previously unserved communities. However, surveys show that high nitrate levels are common in groundwater is common in arid and semi-arid regions of southern Africa, often exceeding drinking water specifications (i.e. above 10 mg/ℓ). The problem is that, for many communities, this is the only available drinking water they have. Dr Gideon Tredoux with his colleagues, Dr Pannie Engelbrecht and Siep Talma all of CSIR Environmentek, have been studying the occurrence of nitrate in groundwater for many years. “Rural villages and small towns from the Northern Cape to the far southeast of Limpopo are severely affected by these nitrate concentrations,” he tells the Water Wheel.

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