Gumbo, J. R.Durowoju, O. S.Makungo, R.Sethokga, Sekgopo Paul2025-09-152025-09-152025-09-05Sethokga, S.P. 2025. Evaluation of groundwater quality and geographical survey of the boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana (Simson) Village, Limpopo Province: South Africa. . .https://univendspace.univen.ac.za/handle/11602/2939MESHWRDepartment of Earth ScienceGeochemical processes and the type of rock in which the aquifer is formed are, in most cases, responsible for natural groundwater deterioration. Therefore, groundwater deterioration is associated with various health risks to persons consuming the water, thus, it would vary from adults to children. Ga-Ramaswikana and surrounding communities depend on groundwater for household uses due to the lack of municipal water supply systems. This study focused on investigating the groundwater quality, geological formation, and geo-profile of boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana village. The water samples and geophysical survey data were collected four times, once a season (autumn, winter, spring, and summer). The methods of water quality analysis and borehole profiling using PQWTS500 groundwater detector were adopted. The following water quality parameters were evaluated, physicochemical parameters such as Total Dissolve Solid (TDS), Turbidity, Salinity, Temperature, pH, and Electrical Conductivity (EC); The major anions and cations (HCO3- , SO42- , NO3- , Cl- , F- , K+ , Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+ ), and Trace metals such as (Aluminium (Al), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), and Silicon (Si)). Fluoride concentrations were above the SANS limit (1.5) during the three seasons and is likely responsible for teeth discoloration. This makes the water unsuitable for drinking use. The average fluoride (F-) levels for all weather seasons were 1.73, 2.1, 2.6, 2.9, and 1.9 mg/l for the following boreholes respectively, Sepaela, Mashabela, Public borehole, Mahladisa, and Rampa. The public and Rampa boreholes had the highest turbidity which exceeded the limit of 5 NTU for World Health Organisation, and South African National Standards. The community borehole had turbidity of 101.6, and 32.4 NTU in spring and summer respectively. For Rampa household, the water had a turbidity of 22 NTU and 9.7 NTU in winter and summer respectively. For trace metals, higher concentrations of aluminium were recorded in the following boreholes (P2, P4, P8, P12, P14, P15, P16, P18). 100 % of water samples in the study were prone to Silicon which affected the taste of water. Arsenic was present in high concentration in the following boreholes P12, P13, P14, P15, and P18 of different seasons. The P12 to P18 boreholes had arsenic concentrations of 1.69, 4.48, 3.01, 4.5, and 6.17 mg/l, except for P16 which was for Mogalakwena river water sample. The major cations (Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, and K+) were plotted against major anions (HCO3- , SO42-, and Cl-) on a piper diagram to understand the water type dominant in the groundwater of Ga-Ramaswikana Village. The geochemistry of groundwater in Ga-Ramaswikana Village is dominated by calcium chloride (CaCl2) water type in most boreholes. CaCl2 is a type of hard water that gives a salty water taste of groundwater within Ramaswikana Village. The groundwater chemistry of a public borehole is CaCl2 throughout all seasons. This tells that the public borehole is drilled on a calcium chloride rock formation. The decrease in annual rainfall trend has impacted the seasonal groundwater recharge. Geophysical surveys were conducted to investigate the subsurface profile of boreholes and geological formations in Ramaswikana village. Therefore, the PQWTS500 groundwater detector machine revealed that some boreholes in the study were wrongly sited. This area is associated with the Gneiss formation and the groundwater in this area is salty. This may be due to geochemical processes such as weathering, rock-water interaction, dissolution of minerals, and ion exchange, which alter the water quality in the ground. An integrated approach involving the geophysical survey and groundwater quality has been studied. Therefore, it has contributed to a better understanding of groundwater, geologic formation, its quality, and health risks of groundwater within Ga-Ramaswikana. The findings will be shared with relevant stakeholders in the water sector and community leaders for sustainable mitigation strategies and development.1 online resource ()enUniversity of VendaGroundwater qualityUCTDGeophysical surveyPQWTS500Geological formationBorehole profilingDissertationSethokga SP. Evaluation of groundwater quality and geographical survey of the boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana (Simson) Village, Limpopo Province: South Africa. []. , 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from:Sethokga, S. P. (2025). <i>Evaluation of groundwater quality and geographical survey of the boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana (Simson) Village, Limpopo Province: South Africa</i>. (). . Retrieved fromSethokga, Sekgopo Paul. <i>"Evaluation of groundwater quality and geographical survey of the boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana (Simson) Village, Limpopo Province: South Africa."</i> ., , 2025.TY - Dissertation AU - Sethokga, Sekgopo Paul AB - Geochemical processes and the type of rock in which the aquifer is formed are, in most cases, responsible for natural groundwater deterioration. Therefore, groundwater deterioration is associated with various health risks to persons consuming the water, thus, it would vary from adults to children. Ga-Ramaswikana and surrounding communities depend on groundwater for household uses due to the lack of municipal water supply systems. This study focused on investigating the groundwater quality, geological formation, and geo-profile of boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana village. The water samples and geophysical survey data were collected four times, once a season (autumn, winter, spring, and summer). The methods of water quality analysis and borehole profiling using PQWTS500 groundwater detector were adopted. The following water quality parameters were evaluated, physicochemical parameters such as Total Dissolve Solid (TDS), Turbidity, Salinity, Temperature, pH, and Electrical Conductivity (EC); The major anions and cations (HCO3- , SO42- , NO3- , Cl- , F- , K+ , Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+ ), and Trace metals such as (Aluminium (Al), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), and Silicon (Si)). Fluoride concentrations were above the SANS limit (1.5) during the three seasons and is likely responsible for teeth discoloration. This makes the water unsuitable for drinking use. The average fluoride (F-) levels for all weather seasons were 1.73, 2.1, 2.6, 2.9, and 1.9 mg/l for the following boreholes respectively, Sepaela, Mashabela, Public borehole, Mahladisa, and Rampa. The public and Rampa boreholes had the highest turbidity which exceeded the limit of 5 NTU for World Health Organisation, and South African National Standards. The community borehole had turbidity of 101.6, and 32.4 NTU in spring and summer respectively. For Rampa household, the water had a turbidity of 22 NTU and 9.7 NTU in winter and summer respectively. For trace metals, higher concentrations of aluminium were recorded in the following boreholes (P2, P4, P8, P12, P14, P15, P16, P18). 100 % of water samples in the study were prone to Silicon which affected the taste of water. Arsenic was present in high concentration in the following boreholes P12, P13, P14, P15, and P18 of different seasons. The P12 to P18 boreholes had arsenic concentrations of 1.69, 4.48, 3.01, 4.5, and 6.17 mg/l, except for P16 which was for Mogalakwena river water sample. The major cations (Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, and K+) were plotted against major anions (HCO3- , SO42-, and Cl-) on a piper diagram to understand the water type dominant in the groundwater of Ga-Ramaswikana Village. The geochemistry of groundwater in Ga-Ramaswikana Village is dominated by calcium chloride (CaCl2) water type in most boreholes. CaCl2 is a type of hard water that gives a salty water taste of groundwater within Ramaswikana Village. The groundwater chemistry of a public borehole is CaCl2 throughout all seasons. This tells that the public borehole is drilled on a calcium chloride rock formation. The decrease in annual rainfall trend has impacted the seasonal groundwater recharge. Geophysical surveys were conducted to investigate the subsurface profile of boreholes and geological formations in Ramaswikana village. Therefore, the PQWTS500 groundwater detector machine revealed that some boreholes in the study were wrongly sited. This area is associated with the Gneiss formation and the groundwater in this area is salty. This may be due to geochemical processes such as weathering, rock-water interaction, dissolution of minerals, and ion exchange, which alter the water quality in the ground. An integrated approach involving the geophysical survey and groundwater quality has been studied. Therefore, it has contributed to a better understanding of groundwater, geologic formation, its quality, and health risks of groundwater within Ga-Ramaswikana. The findings will be shared with relevant stakeholders in the water sector and community leaders for sustainable mitigation strategies and development. DA - 2025-09-05 DB - ResearchSpace DP - Univen KW - Groundwater quality KW - Geophysical survey KW - PQWTS500 KW - Geological formation KW - Borehole profiling LK - https://univendspace.univen.ac.za PY - 2025 T1 - Evaluation of groundwater quality and geographical survey of the boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana (Simson) Village, Limpopo Province: South Africa TI - Evaluation of groundwater quality and geographical survey of the boreholes in Ga-Ramaswikana (Simson) Village, Limpopo Province: South Africa UR - ER -