Envass News

As South Africa is considered a chronically water-stressed country, long-term groundwater resource monitoring forms part of a vital network to accurately quantify impacts for rectification planning and implementation of mitigation towards sustainable use. Groundwater resources are utilised for numerous purposes inclusive of potable, domestic, industrial and processing which remains one of the prime systems affected and influenced by anthropogenic activities.

The subsurface refers to an open system inclusive of associated interaction where contaminants may be transported, altered and reallocated. Mining and industrial activities pose a significant risk to the systems through failure to adequately manage impacts during the operational- and post-closure phases, degrading the groundwater resources. Groundwater monitoring is thus an essential part of industrial and mining activities to detect or identify subsurface contaminants, water volumes, determine impact sources, estimate contamination direction and flow for mitigation planning and associated implementation.