Groundwater Protection - DWS Landing Page

1 Groundwater Protection Involving communitymembers in a hydrocensusTOOLKIT for WATER SERVICES: Number document is for use by Water Services Authorities, service providers and Catchment ManagementAgencies in order to provide guidelines for conducting a site-specific hydrocensus ( under project-based assessments in terms of the Groundwater Protocol, Version II). Groundwater Protection - Involving Community Members in a Hydrocensus DWAF, March 2004 Published byDepartment of Water Affairs and ForestryDirectorate: Information ProgrammesPrivate Bag X313 PRETORIA 0001 Republic of South AfricaTel: (012) 336 7500 This publication may be reproduced only for non-commercial purposes and only after appropriateauthorisation by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has been provided.

2 No part of thispublication may be reproduced in any manner without full acknowledgement of the byAlana Potter, Kerry O H Murphy,Irene SaaymanEditingAnthea Josias and Kerry HarrisArtworkVusi MalindiLayout and designGill McDowellInputsIan PearsonProduced under:The NORAD-Assisted Programme for the Sustainable Development of Groundwater Sourcesunder the Community Water and Sanitation Programme in South Africa,Foreword Toolkit for Water ServicesGroundwater has historically been given limited attention, and is not perceived as animportant water resource , in South Africa. This is reflected in statistics showing that only13 % of the nation s total water supply originate from Groundwater .

3 Because of the highlydistributed nature of the water demand in rural and informal peri-urban settlements,regional schemes are, in most instances, not economically feasible. And because ofdecreasing available river and spring flows during low flow and drought periods, as wellas wide-spread problems of surface water pollution in rural areas, Groundwater will be themost feasible option for a large part of the new water NORAD-Assisted Programme for the Sustainable Development of GroundwaterSources under the Community Water and Sanitation Programme in South Africa wasmanaged by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) between 2000 and 2004.

4 The Programme undertook a series of inter-related projects aimed at enhancing capacityof water services authorities and DWAF to promote and implement sustainable rural watersupply schemes based on Groundwater resources and appropriate 2 has a full list of the Programme outputs. The formats for these range fromdocuments to software programmes and an internet portal, to reference sites wherecommunities have implemented appropriate technologies. For more information on the package of Programme outputs contact your nearest DWAF Regional Office or HeadOffice in is our sincere hope that this Programme will contribute to the body of work that existsto enable more appropriate use and management of Groundwater in South Community Members in a Hydrocensusis Number in the Toolkit for Water document is for use by Water Services Authorities.

5 Service providers and Catchment Management Agenciesin order to provide guidelines for conducting a site-specifichydrocensus ( under project-based assessments in termsof the Groundwater Protocol, Version II).1 Groundwater Protection : Involving Community Members in a HydrocensusToolkit for Water Services 1 Overview A Framework for Groundwater Management of Community Water a Rural Groundwater Management System: a step-by-step guide2 Descriptors for Geosites3 Groundwater for protecting for protecting boreholes and on protecting Groundwater from Animal kraals, watering points and dipping Burial Informal vehicle servicing, spray painting and parts washing Pit Runoff Subsistence Informal waste Groundwater Indexing Tool (SusIT) SusIT User SusIT Field Data Capturer s User SusIT SusIT Information Management AquiMon Information Data Access System (GDAS)

6 GDAS Information Monitoring for Pump Best Practices Guidelines for Rural Water Guide to Appropriate Solutions for Water and Making Framework for Municipalities8 Reference Information Information Information Brochure2 Groundwater Protection : Involving Community Members in a community members in a hydrocensusTable of ContentsForewordToolkit for Water Services AcronymsIntroductionA Hydrocensus- Why do a hydrocensus?- What is a hydrocensus?- Why involve communities in a hydrocensus?- When is a hydrocensus required?- How community members can be involvedUndertaking a HydrocensusSTEP 1 - Preparation / Setting the sceneSTEP 2 - Identifying all Water Sources and Pollution ThreatsSTEP 3 - Community MappingSTEP 4 - Compiling the Hydrocensus ReportReferences and additional reading12456667810111114151719 AcronymsCBO Community-Based OrganisationCMAC atchment Management AgencyCWSSC ommunity Water Supply and SanitationDPLGD epartment of Provincial and Local GovernmentDWAFD epartment of Water Affairs and ForestryO&MOperation and MaintenanceSABSS outh African

7 Bureau of StandardsSANSS outh African National StandardsSSAS upport Services AgentWMAW ater Management AreaWRMW ater resource ManagementWSAW ater Services AuthorityWSDPW ater Services Development PlanWSPW ater Services ProviderWSDPW ater Services Provision ContractWUAW ater User Association4 Groundwater Protection : Involving Community Members in a Hydrocensus5 Groundwater Protection : Involving Community Members in a HydrocensusIntroductionWhy does Groundwater matter? The important role that Groundwater plays in the health of many communities cannot be overstated. It is expected that Groundwater sources will increasingly be the only sourceof additional water for the development of communities, particularly in the more remote areas.

8 However the quality and quantity of these resources are constantly under threatfrom the activities of human existence and development. It is therefore of vitalimportance that adequate measures are taken to preserve our valuable Groundwater resources. ( Groundwater Protection Protocol, 2003: DWAF)Purpose of this GuideThis Guide is part of a series that explains how and why Groundwater resources need to beprotected and managed effectively in the rural context. It aims to provide development project planners and implementers and all those who areentrusted with conducting a hydrocensus at community level, with an overview of how toconduct a hydrocensus with meaningful community participation.

9 In most cases, thehydrocensus will be led by a technical official from the relevant municipality. This guide also aims to assist officials or service providers to gather information, withcommunity involvement, on water features, water supply sources and sources of potentialwater pollution in a particular site or area, a task that forms part of a Project-BasedAssessment of Groundwater and Contamination Risk: Collection of Existing Threats toGroundwater Quality , as required by DWAF s Groundwater Protection Protocol(Item 1of the Stage 2 Task List). It is applicable to a hydrocensus in the rural Protection : Involving Community Members in a HydrocensusA HydrocensusWhy do a hydrocensus?

10 We know that most development initiatives, including improved water and sanitationservices, have the potential to be detrimental to the quality and / or quantity of groundwaterresources. Water is a scarce and strategic resource in South Africa. This means that it isimportant to make an assessment of the possible impact of any development initiative onwater resources in the area, before approving the initiative. For example, where public health improvements are anticipated through the provision ofon-site sanitation facilities, these benefits may be completely undermined if the sanitationfacilities impact negatively on water quality.