The impact of drought
on groundwater resources
By Marlese Nel, science communicator. Introduction by Tarren Bolton.
symposium, delivers some insights
for Water, Sewage & Effluent into the
impact of the drought on groundwater.
Between a rock and a wet
place
The current drought has left immense
stresses on our water resources
in various parts of the country, and
especially in the Western, Eastern,
innovations
the symposium, which is an indication
of the successful hydrogeology
mentoring and training that students
receive here, preparing them for the
consultancy environment and to make
a contribution to the knowledge pool of
groundwater scientists in the Western
Cape, and even in the rest of South
Africa.
Here,
Marlese
Nel,
science
communicator and attendee at the
T
he Western Cape Branch of the
Ground Water Division (GWD) of
the Geological Society of South
Africa presented a one-day
symposium at the end of last year. The
topic was ‘Groundwater and the drought:
Between a rock and a wet place’.
Various alumni of the Environmental
and Water Science Department at
the University of the Western Cape
(UWC) attended and contributed to
What is the (real) impact of the drought on groundwater resources in the
Western Cape?
It was easy to see the impact on our surface water resources by the daunting pictures of
especially the Theewaterskloof Dam when it reached a level of only 11% capacity.
www.waterafrica.co.za
Water Sewage & Effluent May/June 2019
37