Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation of factors influencing groundwater quality in a typical Karoo aquifer in Beaufort West town of South Africa

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study investigates factors that influence the evolution of groundwater chemistry and groundwater quality in a typical Karoo aquifer in South Africa. Groundwater samples were collected from production and monitoring boreholes during spring, summer and autumn seasons. The samples were analysed for inorganic chemistry species. Bivariate plots, stoichiometric analysis and principal component analysis were used as complimentary tools to identify and describe main factors that control the evolution of groundwater chemistry and quality. Groundwater quality was assessed to determine its suitability for domestic and irrigation uses. Three main hydrochemical facies were identified in all seasons; Ca-HCO3, Na-SO4 and mixed water types. The Ca-HCO3 facie evolves from the hydrogeochemical process of calcite dissolution by weak rain carbonic acid and is associated with recently recharged groundwater at higher elevations. The Na in the Na-SO4 facie evolves through cation exchange between calcium and sodium while gypsum dissolution accounts for SO4. Principal component analysis suggests that there is an influence of anthropogenic activities mineralising the groundwater resulting in saline water at lower elevation which negatively affects the groundwater quality. The Ca-HCO3 facie that dominated groundwater at higher elevation is fresher and therefore suitable for both irrigation and domestic uses. The study highlighted the value of using hydrochemical facies, bivariate correlation plots and principal component analysis as complimentary tools to understand hydrogeochemical processes and their influence on groundwater quality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams S, Titus R, Pietersen K, Tredoux G, Harris C (2001) Hydrochemical characteristics of aquifers near Sutherland in the Western Karoo, South Africa. J Hydrol 241:91–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(00)00370-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arslan H (2013) Application of multivariate statistical techniques in the assessment of groundwater quality in seawater intrusion area in Bafra Plain. Turkey Environ Monitor Assess 185(3):2439–2452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2722-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchette D, Lefebvre R, Nastev M, Cloutier V (2010) Groundwater quality, geochemical processes and groundwater evolution in the Chateauguay river watershed, Quebec, Canada. Can Water Resour J 35(4):503–526. https://doi.org/10.4296/cwrj3504503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botha JF, Verwey JP, Van der Voot I, Vivier JJP, Buys J, Colliston WP, Loock JC (1998) Karoo aquifers: their geology, geometry and physical properties. Water Research Commission, South Africa. In: WRC report no. 487/01/98

  • Campbell GDM (1980) Beaufort West groundwater investigation (1975–1977). In: Unpublished technical report GH3155. Department of Water Affairs, Pretoria

  • Cey EE, Rudolph DL, Aravena R, Parkin G (1999) Role of the riparian zone in controlling the distribution and fate of agricultural nitrogen near a small stream in southern Ontario. J Contam Hydrol 37:45–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chidambaram S, Anandhan P, Prasanna MV, Srinivasamoorthy K, Vasanthavigar M (2013) Major ion chemistry and identification of hydrogeochemical processes controlling groundwater in and around Neyveli lignite mines, Tamil Nadu, South India. Arab J Geosci 6(9):3451–3467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP), Western Cape Government (2011) The Gouritz WMA, Chapter 10: 263–286. Western Cape integrated water resources management action plan. Executive summary: status quo report final draft. https://www.westerncape.gov.za/other/2011/8/chapter_10_the_gouritz_wma.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2018

  • Eaton FM (1950) Significance of carbonate in irrigation. Water Soil Sci 67:112–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomo M (2009) Site characterisation of LNAPL-contaminated fractured-rock aquifer. MSc dissertation, University of the Free State, South Africa

  • Gomo M, Van Tonder GJ, Steyl G (2013) Investigation of the hydrogeochemical process in an alluvial channel aquifer located in a typical Karoo Basin of Southern Africa. Environ Earth Sci 70(1):227–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-2118-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomo M (2018) Conceptual hydrogeochemical characteristics of a calcite and dolomite acid mine drainage neutralised circumneutral groundwater system. Water Sci 32:355–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsj.2018.05.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gajbhiye S, Sharma SK, Awasthi MK (2010) Application of principal components analysis for interpretation and grouping of water quality parameters. Int J Hybrid Inf Technol 8(4):89–96. https://doi.org/10.14257/ijhit.2015.8.4.11

  • Helena B, Pardo R, Vega M, Barrado E, Fernandez JM, Fernandez L (2000) Temporal evolution of groundwater composition in an alluvial aquifer (Pisuerga river, Spain) by principal component analysis. Water Res 34(3):807–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(99)00225-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jankowski J, Beck P (2000) Aquifer heterogeneity: hydrogeological and hydrochemical properties of the botany sands aquifer and their impact on contaminant transport. Aust J Earth Sci 47(1):45–64. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-0952.2000.00768.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson MR, Vuuren CJ, Visser JNJ, Cole DI, de Wickens HV, Christie ADM, Roberts DL, Brandl G (2006) Sedimentary rocks of the Karoo supergroup. In: Johnson MR, Anhaeusser CR, Thomas RJ (eds) The geology of South Africa. Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg/Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, pp 477–479

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski M, Komisarek J (2016) Identification of the hydrogeochemical processes in the groundwater of gleysols and retisols top sequence of the Opalenica plain. J Ecol Eng 17(2):113–120. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/62302

  • Karroum M, Elgettafi M, Elmandour A, Wilske C, Himi M, Casas A (2017) Geochemical processes controlling groundwater quality under semi-arid environment: a case study in central Morocco. Sci Total Environ 609:1140–1151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kura NU, Ramli MF, Sulaiman WNA, Ibrahim S, Aris Z, Mustapha A (2013) Evaluation of factors influencing the groundwater chemistry in a small tropical island of Malaysia. Int J Environ Res Public Health 10(5):1861–1881. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10051861

  • Mgbenu CN, Egbueri JC (2019) The hydrogeochemical signatures, quality indices and health risk assessment of water resources in Umunya district, southeast Nigeria. Appl Water Sci 9:22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-019-0900-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed C, Zineb A (2015) Geochemistry and hydrogeochemical processes of groundwater in the Souf valley of low septentrional Sahara, Algeria. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 9(3):261–273. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJES2014.1710

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nazzal Y, Ahmed I, Al-Arifi NSN, Ghrefat H, Zaidi FK, El-Waheidi MM, Batayneh A, Zumlot T (2014) A pragmatic approach to study the groundwater quality suitability for domestic and agricultural usage, Saq aquifer, Northwest of Saudi Arabia. Environ Monitor Assess 186(8):4655–4667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3728-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okiongbo KS, Douglas RK (2014) Evaluation of major factors influencing the geochemistry of groundwater using graphical and multivariate statistical methods in Yenagoa city, Southern Nigeria. Appl Water Sci 5(1):27–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-014-0166-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pazand K, Hezarkhani A (2013) Hydrogeochemical processes and chemical characteristics around Sahand Mountain, NW Iran. Appl Water Sci 3(2):479–489. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-013-0096-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piper AM (1944) A graphic procedure in the geochemical interpretation of water-analyses. Trans Am Geophys Union 25(6):914–928. https://doi.org/10.1029/TR025i006p00914

  • Sako A, Yaro JM, Bamba O (2018) Impacts of hydrogeochemical processes and anthropogenic activities on groundwater quality in the Upper Precambrian sedimentary aquifer of northwestern Burkina Faso. Appl Water Sci 8:88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-018-0735-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SANS 241-1:2015. South African National Standard: drinking water (edition 2). The South African Bureau of Standards, Pretoria. ISBN 978-0-626-29841-8

  • SAWQG (1996) South African water quality guidelines, vol 1. Domestic use (2nd edn). Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Pretoria. https://www.dwa.gov.za/iwqs/wq_guide/Pol_saWQguideFRESH_vol1_Domesticuse.PDF. Accessed 28 Oct 2018

  • Singh S, Janardhana R, Ramakrishna C (2015) Evaluation of groundwater quality and its suitability for domestic and irrigation use in parts of the Chandauli-Varanasi region, Uttar Pradesh, India. J Water Resour Protect 7(7):572–587. https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2015.77046

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner BR (1981) Revised stratigraphy of the Beaufort Group in the Southern Karoo basin, Department of Geology. Palaeontol Afr 24:87–98. The University, Newcastle Tyne, England. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/16302. Accessed 15 Aug 2018

  • US Salinity Laboratory Staff (1954) Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkalis soils. In: US Department of Agriculture handbook 60, Washington, DC, p 160

  • Van Camp M, Walraevens K (2008) Identifying and interpreting baseline trends. In: Edmunds WM, Shand P (eds) Natural groundwater quality. Wiley-Blackwell, Massachusetts, pp 131–154

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Van Wyk Y, Witthueser K (2011) A forced-gradient tracer test on the Hansrivier dyke: Beaufort West, South Africa. Water SA 37(4):437–443. https://doi.org/10.4314/wsa.v37i4.2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vegter JR, Foster MBJ (1992) The hydrogeology of dolomitic formations in the southern and western Transvaal. In: Back W, Herman JS, Paloc H (eds) Hydrogeology of selected karst regions. Int Contrib Hydrogeol 13:355–376 (Heinz Heise, Hannover)

  • Wang J, Liang X, Liu Y, Jin M, Knappett SK, Liu Y (2018) Hydrogeochemical evolution along groundwater flow paths in the Manas River Basin, Northwest China. Ground Water. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12829

  • Weaver JMC, Cave L, Talma AS (2007) Groundwater sampling: a comprehensive guide for sampling methods. In: WRC report no. TT 303/07 (2nd edn). Water Research Commission, Gezina. https://www.wrc.org.za/Knowledge%20Hub%20Documents/Research%20Reports/TT303-07.pdf. Accessed 15 Mar 2018

  • Western Cape Government (2019) Latest western Cape dam levels. https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/latest-western-cape-dam-levels. Accessed 7 May 2019

  • WHO (World Health Organisation) (2011) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th edn. In: NLM classification: WA 675, Geneva

  • Wilcox LV (1955) Classification and use of irrigation waters. In: Circular no. 969. United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

  • Woodford A, Chevallier L (2002) Hydrogeology of the main Karoo Basin: current knowledge and research needs. In: Water Research Commission, report no. TT 179/02, pp 30–41

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Council for Geoscience (CGS) for funding this research. Many thanks also go to the CGS colleagues who were involved in the project within which this part of research was taken. We would also like to thank the Beaufort West Municipality for their cooperation and understanding during the duration of this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Council for Geoscience, 280 Pretoria Street, Silverton, Pretoria, 0184, South Africa

    L. Ligavha-Mbelengwa

  2. Institute for Groundwater Studies, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa

    M. Gomo

Authors
  1. L. Ligavha-Mbelengwa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Gomo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Gomo.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ligavha-Mbelengwa, L., Gomo, M. Investigation of factors influencing groundwater quality in a typical Karoo aquifer in Beaufort West town of South Africa. Environ Earth Sci 79, 196 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-08936-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-08936-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation