Community Engagement

Lesedi la Batho

Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, in conjunction with the Water Geosciences Unit, Council for Geoscience and Lesedi la Batho is angaging in water supply related matters to the Mabopane rural community.  Contact us with any further queries by clicking here.



Molototsi and Middle Letaba Community Awareness regarding Groundwater and Engineering Geology

Following on a recent Water Research Commission (WRC) funded project on sustainable water supply in the Limpopo Province, Prof J. L. van Rooy and Mr M. A. Dippenaar have commenced on intensive further research on the engineering geology and hydrogeology of areas underlain by Basement granites. The study area chosen for their further research comprise of two quaternary water catchments, namely the Molototsi and Middle Letaba catchments.

Both these areas have severe constraints with respect to founding of residential dwellings; the availability of construction materials; excavation and location of ground-based sanitation systems, cemeteries and waste sites; and water supply from boreholes.

The postgraduate students in Engineering and Environmental Geology and the lecturers are busy evaluating the abovementioned conditions by means of soil profile descriptions, soil sampling and testing, land facet mapping, soil percolation properties and groundwater parameters. Based on this data, the following issues can be addressed:

  1. Geotechnical conditions leading to appropriate foundation measures to ensure stable construction.
  2. Availability of local construction materials.
  3. Soil percolation properties to assess potential groundwater contamination due to pit latrines, cemeteries and waste pits.
  4. Groundwater availability based on the available DWAF (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry) water supply boreholes in the area and results from the WRC research project.

In addition to potential research papers and contributing to the training of honours students, the final results will probably the opportunity to educate and empower the local communities with regards to creating a better living environment. Project results can easily be presented in poster form to the local communities. These posters can be supplied to the local schools and community leaders to contribute to a safer, more sustainable living environment and resource utilisation. The postgraduate students will also be involved with the compilation of the posters and eventual presenting of the results to schools and communities within the project areas. Even though no direct funding is supplied to the communities, direct financial benefit can be gained by better utilization of available resources and prevention of damage to structures. 
 
The project team wishes to thank the Water Research Commission for additional funding of the geohydrological component of this project.

 

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