Maphumulo B; Mahed G
Disastrous droughts sweeping across South Africa has led to the population turning towards groundwater as their primary source of water. This groundwater movement has increased the need for proper groundwater management in terms of both quality and quantity. Groundwater sampling is a crucial, and yet often overlooked, component of water quality assessment and management. This thesis evaluated the various groundwater sampling methods used within fractured rock aquifers in the Beaufort West region. Each sampling method was evaluated in terms of their precision and accuracy according to their hydrochemical results. Historical hydrochemical data from past reports was utilised to determine how various groundwater sampling techniques influence results. This helped gained a better understanding of the requirements required to correctly and accurately sample different water sources such as boreholes and windmills. These requirements include the importance of purging in order to remove stagnant water from windmills. By understanding these sampling techniques, it is possible to create a groundwater sampling protocol which should be followed when sampling fractured rock aquifer in order to ensure best possible results.