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Investigation Into Groundwater Quality INVESTIGATION INTO GROUNDWATER QUALITY DETERIORATION IN THE OLIFANTS RIVER CATCHMENT ABOVE THE LOSKOP DAM WITH SPECIALISED INVESTIGATION IN THE WITBANK DAM SUB-CATCHMENT Compiled by F.D.I. Hodgson and R.M. Krantz Institute for Groundwater Studies University of the Orange Free State BLOEMFONTEIN Report to the Water Research Commission Project Leader: Prof. F.D.I. Hodgson WRC Report No. 291/1/98 1998 ISBN 1 86845 182 8 The research in this report emanated from a project funded by the Water Research Commission, the Chamber of Mines of SA, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Eskom and the University of the Orange Free State and entitled: REGIONAL INVESTIGATION INTO GROUNDWATER QUALITY DETERIORATION IN THE OLIFANTS RIVER CATCHWIENT ABOVE THE LOSKOP DAM WITH SPECIALISED INVESTIGATION IN THE WITBANK DAM SUB-CATCHMENT The Steering Committee responsible for this project, consisted of the following persons: Mr. H.M. du Plessis Water Research Commission (Chairman) Mrs. A.M. du Toit Water Research Commission (Secretary) Mr. A.G. Reynders Water Research Commission Mr. H.C. van Zijl Amcoal Mr. J. Easton Chamber of Mines of SA Mr. J.C. Louw Department of Agriculture Mr. W.E. Scott Department of Environmental Affairs Mr. C.W. Louw Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs Director, Geohydrology Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Mr. S.A.P. Brown Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Mr. W. J.S. van Zyl Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Mr. D. J. Steyn Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (Tvl Region) Mr. J.B. Conlin Eskom Mr. H. van Tonder Eskom Dr. E.C.I. Hammerbeck Geological Survey Mr. A.W. Pullen Gold Fields of SA Mr. J.D. Wells Rand Mines Mr. W. Pulles Pulles, Howard and De Lange Dr. A.J. van der Merwe Institute for Soil, Climate and Water Mr. J.N.J. Viljoen Trans Natal Coal Prof. J.G.C. Small University of the Orange Free State The financing of the project by the organisations mentioned above and the contributions of the members of the Steering Committee is acknowledged gratefully. The project was only possible with the co-operation of many individuals and institutions. The authors wish to record their sincere thanks to the following: Individual mining houses, collieries, power stations, metal industries, municipalities and farming community for data and access to their property; the CCWR for rainfall data; the I DWA&F for water quality data and information on the NGDB; the Directorate of Geohydrology for manpower and drilling of boreholes; Eskom for analyses of pesticides; University of the Orange Free State for general support and services. Many individuals from within the Institute for Groundwater Studies actively worked on this project. This project would not have been possible without their dedicated commitment. Frank Hodgson - Project Manager Rainer Krantz - Researcher Gernot Schaaf - Researcher Dirk Rudolph - Researcher Louis van Niekerk - Researcher Lore-Mari Cruywagen - Chemical analyses Elna de Necker - Chemical analyses Jurgen Kirchner - Data quality control Jopie Botha - Mass transport modelling Gerrit van Tonder - Mass transport modelling Eelco Lukas - Software support George Fourie - Data base support Marietjie Botha - Word processing and editing Carinie le Roux - Financial manager Table of contents Executive Summary 1 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF INVESTIGATIONS in 1.1 Partners in research /// 1.2 Aims. /// 2 CURRENT WATER ENVIRONMENTS AS THEY RELATE TO THE OLIFANTS CATCHMENT IV 2.1 Groundwater jy 2.2 Surface water /j/ 3 COAL-MINING AND ITS EFFECT ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY V 3.1 Opencast mining y 3.2 Underground mining \q 3.2.1 Shallow underground mining (Section 3.2.1) VI 3.2.2 Deep underground mining (Section 3.2.2) VI 3.2.2.1 Bord-and-pillar mining VI 3.2.2.2 High extraction mining VI 4 POWER GENERATION AND ITS EFFECT ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY vn 5 MUNICIPAL GENERAL WASTE AND ITS EFFECT ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY VIII 6 SEWAGE EFFLUENT AND ITS EFFECT ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY VDJ 7 METAL INDUSTRY AND rrs EFFECT ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY vm 8 AGRICULTURE AND rrs EFFECT ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY VIII 9 OVERALL ASSESSMENT DC 10 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER WORK LX 11 AIMS VERSUS ACHIEVEMENTS LX TABLE OF CONTENTS XD SECTION 1 . 1 1.1 PARTNERS IN RESEARCH l 1.2 AIMS 1 1.3 STRUCTURE OF REPORT 2 SECTION 2 2.1. GEOLOGY AND GEOHYDROLOGY 3 2.1.1. Geology 3 2.1.2 Geohydrology 3 2.1.2.2 The fiactured Ecca aquifers :.. 5 2.1.2.3 Pre-Kanx) aquifers 8 2.2 SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 8 2.2.1 Rainwater quality 8 2.2.2 Surface run-off quality. 9 SECTION3 19 3.1 PREVIOUS RESEARCH 19 3.1.1 Underground mining. 19 3.1.2 Opencast Mining 20 3.1.2.1 Water quality deterioration and hydrochemistry 20 3.1.2.2 Remediation 21 3.1.3 Conclusion 22 3.2 WATER IN UNDERGROUND COLLIERIES 22 3.2.1 Shallow Underground Coal Afining 22 3.2.1.1 Water Quantity 22 3.2.1.2 Waterquality 24 3.2.2 Deep Underground Collieries 27 3.2.2.1 Water quantity 28 3.2.2.1.1 Bord-and-Pillar Mining 28 3.2.2.1.2 High extraction underground mining 28 3.2.2.1.3 Modelling of groundwater influx into high extraction areas 30 3.2.2.2 WaterQuality 31 INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF INVESTIGATIONS 1.1 PARTNERS IN RESEARCH The Institute for Groundwater Studies at the University of the Orange Free State had entered into a research contract with the Water Research Commission, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWA&F), the Chamber of Mines of South Africa (excluding Amcoal) and Eskom in 1989, to study the "groundwater quality deterioration in the Olifants Catchment above the Loskop Dam, with specialised investigations in the Witbank Dam Sub-catchment". This contract was preceded by a year of negotiations with all interested parties to ensure full co-operation. Most major companies in the Olifants Catchment agreed to co-operate. A condition for co-operation was confidentiality of information on a site- specific basis. 1.2 AIMS The aims of the investigation were to: • Quantify the contribution of various activities which may result in a deterioration of the groundwater resources in the catchment above the Loskop Dam, with special emphasis on the Witbank Dam Sub-catchment. • Predict future salt loads in groundwater, based on projections of probable development in the area. Extrapolate information to other catchments that supply water to the Olifants Catchment. • Investigate and research improved management and precautionary measures that could be utilised to minimise groundwater quality deterioration. © Integrate groundwater information with other investigations in the area, including the water management programme of the DWA&F, with the purpose of deriving a catchment management programme at the end of this project. Since 1990 many investigations have been initiated on specific issues relating to water within the Olifants Catchment. The most important of these investigations were perhaps those which have been initiated by the DWA&F, to establish a surface water quality management programme for the Olifants Catchment. Other studies worthwhile mentioning are the formulation of the Environmental Management Programme Report (EMPR), which has come about during this investigation; research into passive water treatment systems; interception of rainfall thus minimising influx into mined areas; research into liners for waste disposal; research into the use and application of bactericides to limit oxidation of pyrite; promulgation of the Environmental Act, Act 73 of 1989, and the associated licensing of general and hazardous waste sites and many projects initiated by the mines and industries themselves. Because of the environmental awareness and the significant number of related projects which came about since the original formulation of the present project, the emphasis in this project has shifted to ensure that duplication will not result. The following interpretation is provided to clarify how the emphasis has shifted through the years: « Quantification of contributions by various activities was to be on the micro- and local scale through monitoring, process studies and modelling at selected sites. Individual mines, industries or municipalities were not to be identified to ensure their continued co- operation. • Prediction of future salt loads would emphasise the long-term issues tending towards steady state. Prediction will be done through monitoring, process studies, water and salt balances, chemical equilibrium calculations and modelling, thus obtaining a load factor, where possible, for each facility investigated. Prediction on a catchment basis was to be done, where possible, by applying a load factor to existing facilities within a catchment. • Investigation and research into improved management and precautionary measures were to concentrate on the identification of main pollution sources, formulation of suggestions for improved management strategies, where necessary, implementation of these strategies, where possible, and modelling of the effect of the improved management strategies. The precautionary measures relate to all measures that may be undertaken to minimise an impact on the water resources, as pre- or post-treatment. • The integration of groundwater information with other investigations in the area was to be done by the DWA&F, incorporating the information that is generated in this investigation, into their catchment management programme. CURRENT WATER ENVSROMMEMTS AS THEY RELATE TO THE OLSFAhSTS CATCHMENT 2.1 GRQUNDWATER Groundwater occurs in the near-surface weathered strata, fractures in the unweathered Karoo sediments and to a lesser extent, in the rock underneath the Karoo sediments (see Section 2.1 for more information). Almost all farmers tap the weathered and Karoo aquifers. Average borehole yield is less than 1 I/sec. Borehole yield is therefore sufficient for domestic use but not for large-scale irrigation. The natural groundwater quality in the weathered aquifer is excellent, because of its short residence time within this zone and also because most of the leachable minerals have been removed through years of leaching.
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