Microbiology of groundwater: The good and the bad

Groundwater have for a long time been seen as free from nasty microbes due to the percolating processes that drives the replenishment of these underground reservoirs that harbour this water. Many South African communities are dependent on such water sources. The perception of the safety of this water has resulted in it being used for household purposes, including drinking, without any treatment. However, due to unavailability of surface water because of drought, the dependence on this source has increased with more boreholes being drilled in drought affected regions such as the Karoo and the Eastern Cape. It may thus be an appropriate time to consider the microbiology of groundwater. In South Africa and several developing and developed countries studies were concerned with microbiological quality of ground water. This talk will explore some of the results from these studies and a focus on the quality of groundwater from the North West Province.

More about Prof Carlos Bezuidenhout

Carlos Bezuidenhout is employed at the North-West University as a Professor in Microbiology and is currently the Research Director in the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management. His post PhD career has focused on various aspects of aquatic microbiology, including surface and groundwater quality, as well as aspects of water treatment. He has over 22 years of experience, has supervised a large number of postgraduate students that are active in the water sector and has published numerous peer-reviewed publications in this field. Carlos is also a member of the Ground Water Division and a Fellow of WISA.