Winners and Awards...

and Thank you's! and Congratulations!

It was wonderful to come together again, as a community, to share knowledge, new research and innovation and expand on our networks at the 17th Groundwater Conference & Exhibition hosted by the Gauteng Branch of the Groundwater Division of the Geological Society of South Africa. 

The GWD wish to congratulate the following recipients of the 'BEST' Awards for the Conference:

We want to acknowledge all the great groundwater SCIENCE TALKS, WORKSHOPS on all topics, as well as all Engagement Partners !

Find the ABSTRACT BOOKLET to download from Resources on Conference Page.

This abstract booklet include the - Conference Programme and Abstracts listed Alphabetically by Author and Contact detail.
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OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME

Theme of the Conference: Groundwater Resilience & Visibility
Day Programme/ Sessions:  71 oral presenters and 17 poster presenters
4 Workshops: Mapping, Awareness, Regulation and Biogrip

Poster Sessions:

Poster Spotlight 1: Hendrik Botha, Ritshidze Nenweli
Poster Spotlight 2: Charissa Worthmann, Lerize van Wyk, Mikyle Cloete, Nathasha Gariremo
Poster Spotlight 3: Akhona Maqhubela, Elvis Tamilo, Kinberley Murray, Lesedi Sipuka
Poster Spotlight 4: Bongeka Maphumulo, Jared van Rooyen, Tarika Isaac, Yazeed van Wyk
Poster Spotlight 5: Angelo Johnston, Jurera Dildar, Sisipho Dlakiya

INTERESTING STATS

• Top sessions attended Day 1: Session 1 Resilience & Session 3 Research
• Top session attended Day 2: Opening session on SACNASP & CPD and Session 9 on Management.
• Top sessions attended Day 3: Session 12 Resilience and the Biogrip workshop
• Most viewed Poster sessions were by Spotlight 5 (Angelo Johnson) and Sportlight 1 (Hendrik Botha)

ATTENDEES

Attendance totals approx 180 delegates over three days.

CPD's Issued: 106

Delegates profiles:
Learning Institutes - 24%;  Consultants - 46 %; Government/ Parastatal/ Industry - 16%; Research / Councils/ NPOs - 12%

Sponsored students:
The Conference sponsored 9 student delegates with representation from NMMU, UWC, WITS, IGS and University of Venda.
Sponsored students contributed keyword summaries to assigned sessions.

INTERESTING STATS

• Delegates scored 98% satisfaction rate on the online platform ONAIR utilised for this conference
• The meeting hub reported on 1443 connections made invited from 69 delegates to 136 delegates

SPONSORS & ENGAGEMENT PARTNERS

We sincerely thank and acknowledge the following sponsors for their engagement & contributions. These companies have gone above and beyond expectation and came to the table amidst trying times.

WRC, JMA, EDRS, AQUA EARTH, AQUATICO, JONES AND WAGENER, SGHS and VAN WALT

The following Companies/ Organisations are acknowledged for their Workshop participation.

RAMBOLL, THE GROUNDWATER PROJECT, NEDBANK, DEPARTMENT WATER AND SANITATION, BIOGRIP

INTERESTING STATS

• Aquatico (170) and Aqua Earth (123) received top visits in the Exhibitor Booths
• Van Walt attracted most banner clicks with JMA a close second.
• All sponsors and Exhibitors all received on average more than 40 visits daily via their virtual stands

STUDENT RAPPORTEUR REPORTS

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Below was added to the database

Key words

Session 1: Resilience (van Wyk) Gibson, Aamand, van Staaden, Kurstein, Malima
(Rapporteur: Elvis Tamilo, University of the Witwatersrand)

The application of machine learning for groundwater level prediction in the Steenkoppies compartment of the Gauteng and Northwest dolomite aquifer, South Africa (Kristy GIBSON).

• Aquifer; Hydrogeology; Time series; Variables; Machine learning; Simulation; Artificial intelligence; Atlantis aquifer; Dolomite; Groundwater; Abstraction; Correlation

Managed aquifer recharge in South Africa (MARSA) (Jens AAMAND).

• Aquifer; Pollutants; Reclaimed water; Anaerobic aquifer; Anaerobic degradation; Nitrate; Nitrospine; Nitrification; Compost; Contaminant; Infiltration; Pathogens

Sharing water resources and the complexities around it: Three Case Studies from the Western Cape (Christel VAN STAADEN).

• Water resource; De Doorns; Worcester; Drilling; Water level; Aquifer; Groundwater; Drawdown; Abstraction; Irrigation; Borehole; Quartzite bedding

Conjunctive use of water resources (Jan KuRSTEIN)

• Groundwater; Groundwater protection; Aquifer; Geophysics; Drilling; Logging; Modeling; Ladysmith; Umgeni water; Faults; Recharge; Karoodolerite; Transmissivity; Abstraction; Drawdown

Assessment of the state of potable water supply system in selected communities of Vhembe District Municipality, South Africa (Tuwani MALIMA)

• Potable water; Sanitation; Hygiene; Groundwater; Water source; Discussants; Variables; Fountain water; Water supply; Borehole

Session 2: Visibility (Breedt) Goldin, Bosman, Goslin, Lazarus
(Rapporteur: Mikyle Cloete, University of the Western Cape)
Candidate Natural Scientist (SACNASP)  MSc. candidate  in  Environmental and Water Science

Diamonds on the soles of their feet: groundwater monitoring in the Hout Catchment, Limpopo (Goldin)

• Citizen science; Rainfall; Groundwater; Sampling; Data collection; Borehole

Strengthening South Africa’s groundwater regulatory framework: The case of the unprotected dolomitic aquifer of Delmas (Bosman)

• Aquifer; WUA; Legislation; Groundwater Protection Zones; Groundwater abstraction; Water quality; SPLUMA

Intraplate tectonic setting of the southwestern Cape, South Africa: Analysis of the TrigNet geodetic record

• Steenbras; GNSS; Geodetic monitoring; Groundwater abstraction ; Groundwater monitoring; Tectonic; Rainfall signature; Aquifer storativity; Drawdown

Using geophysics to detect water-hosting fractures in the Vredefort Dome: A training opportunity

• Geophysics; Vredefort dome; Fractures; Seismic; EM; GPR; Modelling;Magnetic; Water levels; Field school

Test pumping Well field analysis of a heterogeneous fractured rock aquifer.

• Fractured rock; Aquifer; Pumping test; Borehole; Tygerberg formation; Quartz; Constant discharge test; Water level; Cooper-Jacob Test; Sustainable yield

Session 3: Research (Johnston) Stenzl, De Bruin, Hohne, Maphumulo, Ntshangase, Holloway
(Rapporteur: Elvis Tamilo, University of the Witwatersrand)

Transport and attenuation of microplastics in saturated sands (Sebastian STENZL)

• Landfill; Environment; Biodegradable; Decompose; Microplastics; Sewage sludge; Environmental stressors; Bioaccumulate; Toxicology; Nano plastics; Research deficit; Up flow; Downflow

Test pumping derivative analysis to improve conceptual understanding in a complex aquifer: Steenbras Wellfield (Kevin DE BRUIN)

• Aquifer; Hydraulic conductivity; Flow regimes; Derivative data; Fracture; Recharge; Cleaning; Smoothing; Sequence; Steenbras Wellfield; Borehole; Derivative analysis; Wellbore

Hydrocarbon groundwater analyses: a Karoo case study (Danita HOHNE)

• Hydrocarbon; Karoo; Water level; Contaminated water; Artisan borehole; Methane concentration; Natural gas; Natural gas; Dolerites; Water quality; Fracturing; Groundwater

The presence and concentration of antiretroviral drugs in different water bodies around the western Cape (Phumelele MAPHUMULO)

• ARVs; Water pollution; Aquatic ecosystem; Water types; Water contamination; Wastewater; Nevirapine; Landfill; Lopinavir; Groundwater; Ritonavir; Tenofovir; Efavirenz; Water treatment; Drinking water

Managed aquifer recharge – evaluating the efficiency of the unsaturated zone to reduce contaminants. A case study of Atlantis aquifer (Londiwe NTSHANGASE)

• Aquifer recharge; Water source; Infiltration; Filtration; Groundwater quality; Artificial recharge; Water treatment; Unsaturated zone; Attenuation; Microbial contaminants; Septic effluents; Atlantis; Grab sampling; Water contamination

Prefeasibility Study for Managed Aquifer Recharge within the Greater Kruger National Park, Limpopo Province, South Africa (Michael HOLLOWAY)

• Artificial recharge; Borehole; Source water; Drainage line; Aquifer; Water quality; Groundwater; Infiltration; Geophysics; Drilling; Dolerite dykes; Water flow

Session 4: Mapping Workshop. (Larsen) Vermaak, Sakala, Kurstein, Hojlberg.
Refer Workshop Facilitator report

Session 5: Innovation (Vermaak) Sekiba, Kalule, Puronpaa-Schafer
(Rapporteur: Mikyle Cloete, University of the Western Cape)

Geophysical Borehole Siting at Elizabeth Conradie School in Kimberley, Northern Cape Province, South Africa (attended late to presentation as I was dealing with technical issues)

• Geophysics; Borehole

Optimizing borehole performance through dynamic flow and chemistry profiling

• Groundwater flow; Borehole; Hydrogeology; Chemistry profiling; SDG; Water quality; SANS2015; Pollution; Hydrobooster; Pumping test

Sustainable rehabilitation of production boreholes Application of pH-neutral iron (III) dissolvers by closed-circuit injection

• pH; closed-circuit injection; production-boreholes; rehabilitation; iron; corrosion; incrustations; clogging ; dissolution; maintenance

Session 6: Management (Majola) Barrow, Pietersen
(Rapporteur: Jureya Dildar, University of the Witwatersrand)

Dale Barrow (Geoss South Africa) -Assessing groundwater dependence of wetlands and streams within the Table Mountain Group Aquifer: A Case Study from the Kogelberg  

• Piezometric surface/level; Groundwater discharge; Groundwater dependence; Interflow; Groundwater abstraction; Kogelberg; Table Mountain Group (TMG); Hydrogeological; Ecological; Geochemical; Climactic

Kevin Pietersen (L2K2 Consultants (Pty) Ltd)- Expanding the boundaries of the Eastern Kalahari Karoo Transboundary Aquifer (EKK-TBA) shared between Botswana and Zambia: A governance challenge  

• Transboundary diagnostic analysis (TDA); EKK-TBA boundary; Kalahari group; Okavango-Zambezi River Basin; Botswana; Zimbabwe; Hydrogeological mapping; Tectonics; Regional piezometry; Groundwater resources; Groundwater governance

Session 7: Research (Dippenaar) Van Wyk, Sauramba, Wilke, Johnson, Majola
(Rapporteur: Phumelele Maphumulo, University of the Western Cape)

Water research commission and proposals (Yazeed Van Wyk)

• Water; Goals; Methods; Proposals; Research; Terminology; Modification; Deliverable; Community; Screening

Groundwater in SADC research vision (James Sauramba)

• Groundwater; Sustainability; Development; Trans boundary; Water security; Vulnerability risk; Management; Water courses; Aquifers; Business models

The seven deadly sins of numerical modelling (Adries Wilke)

• Shame; Model; Purpose; Layers; Spatial information; Hydrogeological; Boundary; Convergence/divergence; Flux boundaries; Conceptual model

Geochemical investigation to improve the predication of mine water impacts; A case study in the Elandsfontein aquifer system, west coast (Angelo Johnson)

• Phosphate mine; Fault; Predication; Geochemical; Mineral separation; Brine; Operational phase; Minerals; Unsaturated zone; Management

Towards the conceptual understanding of groundwater ecosystems interaction in the Tuil Karoo transboundary aquifer (Kwazikwakhe Majola)

• Ecosystem; Dependent; Aquatic; Vegetation; Wetlands; Interactions; Transboundary flow; Integration; Recharge; Discharge

Session 8: Resilience (Breedt) Vicente, Hohne, Gaffoor, Veltman, Fourie
(Rapporteur: Charissa Worthmann, UFS)

• No report made available

Session 9: Management (Johnson) Bosman, Dustay, Esterhuyse, Holland, Parsons
(Rapporteur: Jureya Dildar, University of the Witwatersrand)

"But is it 'pollution'?" - determining appropriate site-specific regulatory limit values for groundwater quality. Carin BOSMAN

• Pollution; Waste; Groundwater resources; Water quality; Governance; Law and policy; Legislation; Sustainability; Drinking water standard; Carrying capacity; Aquifer system; Source- pathway receptor model

The Importance of Reliable Monitoring Data Shuaib DUSTAY

• Logging; Monitoring ; Quality checking; Data collection; Boreholes; Data quality; Numerical groundwater model; Contaminated groundwater system; Contaminant plume; Calibration

Fracking regulations to protect groundwater resources during unconventional oil and gas extraction|: Getting it right. Surina ESTERHUYSE

•  Fracking; Unconventional oil and gas (UOG); Groundwater resources; Legislation; Regulations; Sustainability; Scientific policy; Public policy; Setback distance; Enforcement mechanism

Update of regional groundwater flow models for the Vaal Gamagara SD1 and SD2 wellfields. Martin HOLLAND

• Water demand; Groundwater development target area; Aquifer; Northern Cape; Groundwater resources; Logging; Cumulative rainfall departure curve (CRD); Hydrocensus data; Abstraction; Production rates

The onset of iron biofouling in boreholes in and around Cape Town Roger PARSONS

• iron biofueling; Table mountain group; Groundwater abstraction; Klein Karoo rural water supply scheme; Koo valley; Boreholes; Groundwater levels; Pumping rates; Maintenance; Rehabilitation

Practical Solutions for Academic Based Applications in Understanding the importance of correct aquifer test data interpretations Jorette VAN ROOYEN 

• Fractured rock mechanisms; Groundwater; Surface water; Sustainability; Pumping test data; Fracture characterisation (FC);  Aquifer; Hydraulic; Flow information; 3D numerical flow model

Session 10: Awareness Workshop (Vermaak) De Oliviera, Mbatha
Refer Workshop Facilitator report

Session 11: Mentorship (Magingi) Riemann, Nxumalo, Vicente
Refer Session Facilitator report

Session 12:  Resilience (Diamond) Singh, Takashe, Parker, Parsons, Meier
(Rapporteur: Phumelele Maphumulo, University of the Western Cape)

Observation and monitoring of field parameters for springs and rivers of a swiss alpine valley in relation to seasonality (Cedric Meier)

• Geology; Hydrogeology; Margins; Localization; Catchments; Springs/rivers; Maps; Precipitation; Flow rate; Valley

Session 13: Management (Dippenaar), Murray, Dippenaar, Naicker
No report made available

Session 14: Resilience (Van Wyk) Tomlinson, Murray, Williams
(Rapporteur: Charissa Worthmann, UFS)
No report made available

Tuwani Malima, University of Venda
REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE DELIBERATIONS

Presentation by Neno Kukuric from International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre.

The guest speaker Neno Kukuric outlined assessment, management and governance of groundwater internationally. He indicated that there is a need for awareness campaigns between countries and cooperation in managing groundwater. He further indicated the need for synergy and partnership between countries so that groundwater can be properly managed and not be depleted like other natural resources. From the study presented, a need for information sharing and knowledge management  between water users and other stakeholders, was clearly identified.

Future prospects for groundwater was also outlined which emphasised international cooperation. This enhances the issues around climate change which critically impact recharge of aquifers for groundwater to be available. He stressed that human impact on groundwater resources is affecting these precious water resources availability. The presentation also outlined the need to improve groundwater management through broader socio-economic and environmental context by increasing visibility and management of ground water resources.

PRESENTATION FOR DAY TWO: Matthys Dippenaar on the Professionals' Journey

Professional conduct of a geologist was clearly outlined and this is to ensure that geology is put into its rightful place in Universities. There are few universities offering geology programmes and the requirements was also outlined. There is a need by the groundwater organisations to ensure that geology receive the publicity it deserves as this is critical to ensure that groundwater is studied and researched for its optimal usage and management so that it is not depleted.  The geology need to be promoted and salary ranges were also displayed according to the ranking in the profession.  The CPD was also presented and how that is accumulated within the profession.