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Identifying potential groundwater contamination by mining influenced water (MIW) using flow measurements in a sub-catchment of the “Cradle of Humankind” Unesco World Heritage Site, South Africa

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Abstract

To assess the potential risk of Mining Influenced Water (MIW) contaminating the “Cradle of Humankind” Unesco World Heritage site (“Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa”), flow measurements were conducted in the Tweelopiespruit, a stream influenced by treated mine water from abandoned gold mines in the Witwatersrand gold fields (South Africa). A possible negative influence of the caves by MIW infiltrating into the dolostone aquifer was investigated by conducting flow measurements at different stream locations between June 2014 and February 2019 using the salt dilution method via sudden injection (‘gulp method’). Both logging approaches, the manual method using a multi-meter and the automatic device using probes connected to a data-logger, show reasonable and comparable results in the turbulent flow regime. The general flow increases along the course of the Tweelopiespruit rivulet and only minor localized discharge losses can be observed. An immediate danger for the caves of the “Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa” from infiltrating polluted mine water cannot be postulated, though smaller amounts of the stream water seem to infiltrate into the dolomitic aquifer.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the National Research Foundation (NRF), the South African Research Chair for Mine Water Management, Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Universität Bergakademie Freiberg e.V. and Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V. Furthermore, we acknowledge S. Du Toit from Mogale City Municipality for his kind support and for providing us with access to the Krugersdorp Game Reserve. Johan Tijssen and his site manager Darrell O’Kelly from the Pinocchio’s Farm allowed us access to their property. Henk Coetzee, Sandile Langa, Corinna Schwarz, Yazeed van Wyk, Phathu Nemaxwi, Olma Makonto, Mokone Mpho Penelope, Lwazi Shongwe and Annike Koekemoer are thanked for supporting and helping us in the field. Mlindelwa Lupankwa, Stephanie Lohmeier and Pieter Coetzee commented on and improved an earlier version of this paper and Garfield Krige provided additional data. Thanks to three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and questions.

Funding

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), National Research Foundation (NRF), Freunde und Förderer der Technischen Universität Bergakademie Freiberg e.V., Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Post-Mining, Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA), Herner Straße 45, 44787, Bochum, Germany

    Elke Mugova

  2. Chair of Hydrogeology and Hydrochemistry, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-Str. 12, 09599, Freiberg, Germany

    Elke Mugova

  3. SARChI Chair for Mine Water Management, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Private Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    Christian Wolkersdorfer

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  1. Elke Mugova
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CreDiT: funding acquisition: CW; investigation: EM, CW; supervision: CW; writing—original draft: EM; writing—review and editing: CW.

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Correspondence to Christian Wolkersdorfer.

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Mugova, E., Wolkersdorfer, C. Identifying potential groundwater contamination by mining influenced water (MIW) using flow measurements in a sub-catchment of the “Cradle of Humankind” Unesco World Heritage Site, South Africa. Environ Earth Sci 81, 104 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10224-z

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