The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of nitrate contamination in the water in Cherry Valley. It examines the theory that human effluent is the source of the nitrate and evaluates the role of politics in the nitrate issue.

MPH / Department of Public Health

Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) can be defined as collaboration between governments, development partners and civil society. It promotes coordination of various donor funded programmes to align with a common sector vision. In the case of South Africa, a water sector SWAP was introduced in 2000. Funds were directed to municipalities that were providing water known as Water Services Authorities (WSAs). This study examines the impact of the SWAP on tangible water delivery issues in Ukhahlamba District Municipality, Eastern Cape. The literature reviewed focuses on rural development in South Africa, and abroad. The quantitative aspect of the research considered various sources including primary data from municipal records of water services provision. Interviews were held with community members, municipal and provincial government officials. Analysis of information from these sources indicates some aspects of water delivery were positive and some negative. Recommendations for improvement and further research are made in the last chapter. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Thesis (M.Tech.:Civil Engineering)-Dept. of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 v, 124 leaves, Annexures 1-10, Appendices 1-4 / Lesotho is a land locked country, entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Maseru is the capital of Lesotho and the country’s main centre for commerce and industry. The study area is located on the North-Eastern outskirts of the Maseru urban area. The catchment occupies an area of 44km2 with a length of about 13 km and channel slope of 0.4 km/km. The Maqalika Reservoir was built in 1983 to meet the water demands for Maseru city up to 1995, and its storage capacity was 3.7 Mm3. The storage is gradually decreasing as sediment, carried by the natural run-off accumulates in the reservoir. Moreover, water pumped into the reservoir from the Caledon River (which is heavily sedimented) adds its own contribution of silt. The reservoir is located in a very densely populated area, and is heavily polluted leading to high purification costs. The study was motivated by the fact that Welbedacht Dam was constructed in 1973 in the Caledon catchment but downstream of Maqalika. After 20 years, 85% of the volume of the dam was silted. The study was intended in finding whether the positioning of the Maqalika reservoir is acceptable and to find its remaining capacity as a water body supplying a fast growing city. Consideration was also given to the effect of land use practices on the water quality of the Maqalika reservoir, including the cost incurred during purification. The water quality data on physico- chemical was collected from the Water and Sewerage Authority and was analysed using excel spreadsheets. Results obtained were compared with WHO, SABS and National Standards of Lesotho. It was found that nitrates, phosphates and faecal coliforms levels were by far above minimum standards rendering water to be very contaminated and the source being leaking sewers, defeacation in dongas and leachate from Tsosane and Lower Thamae dumping site. Iron levels were also high with mean values beyond 0.3mg/l and the source being leachate from dumping sites, poor disposal of scraps and minerals from soil. Conductivity levels were high and the suspected source is waste solid disposal having a maximum of 442mS/m in March 2001. Hardness, temperature and alkalinity do not pose much danger to Maqalika water since recorded results were almost within limits. Turbidity levels were very high and the main source was found to be catchment sedimentation through run-off. For determination of the impact of sedimentation through pumping, hydrological data was obtained from the Department of Water Affair (DWA) and analysed using Excel spreadsheets to get sediment concentrations. A linear regression graph was plotted using discharge against sediment concentration that yielded y = 0.0007x – 0.0019. This was used in the Rooseboom mathematical equation for estimation of volume occupied by sediment from 1983 - 2002 and was found to be 6789 m3. For determination of the impact due to catchment run-off, a map method of estimating sedimentation from ungauged catchments developed by Rooseboom was used and a volume of 4.598 x 106 m3 was obtained showing that the main contributor of sedimentation in the reservoir is catchment run-off. The chemical costs employed during purification were also compared between WASA and Umgeni Water of Kwazulu- Natal and WASA was found to be expensive with 9 cents/kl while Umgeni spent only 5.24 cents/kl.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation presents aspects of the public policy process in South Africa with specific reference to water policy between 1994 and 1999. For the purposes of this research, the definition of water policy coincides with the government's definition as contained in the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), the Growth, Employment and Redistribution Programme (GEAR), white papers, bills and legislation. Water policy is a broad subject and is approached from a social sciences focus in this study, in that it uses the fulfilment of human needs as a point of departure. Water policy that applied before 1994 was based on water legislation of 1956, as well as some eighty different Acts that were fragmented between a number of institutions. The focus was on water rights, linked to property rights from which the majority of South Africans were excluded. In the implementation of policy attention was mainly paid to engineering achievements. The acknowledgement that water resources are limited in South Africa, as well as in the rest of the world, and the increasing demands on these sources, focused the attention anew on responsible water policy. Since South Africa's transition to an inclusive political democracy in 1994, a variety of far-reaching changes took place with regard to political decision-making and the public policy process. Not only did the policy-making process change, but policy goals, actors, structures and organisations also changed. It is clear that the policy agenda differs significantly from that of the period preceding 1994. In this study, the context within which policy renewal took place in South Africa since 1994, has been presented, and the policy process that new water legislation was subjected to, is described. The role of policy actors and communities - in line with the principles of the Constitution of 1996 that encourage public participation in the democracy - is considered. The implementation of the new water policy could unfortunately not be evaluated as it has only been promulgated a year ago. This study serves as an introduction to a research area which has received little attention thus far and that has potential for further research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word aspekte van die openbare beleidproses in Suid-Afrika ondersoek met spesiale verwysing na waterbeleid tussen 1994 en 1999. Waterbeleid is vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie omskryf soos in die regering se HOP, GEAR, witskrifte, wetsontwerpe en wetgewing. Waterbeleid is 'n breë onderwerp wat in hierdie studie vanuit 'n sosiaal wetenskaplike hoek benader is, naamlik dat daar aan basiese menslike behoeftes voldoen moet word. Die waterbeleid wat voor 1994 gegeld het, was gebaseer op die Waterwet van 1956, asook wetgewing wat oor tagtig wette versprei was en deur 'n aantal instellings gefragmenteer is. Die klem het geval op waterregte, gekoppel aan eiendomsregte waarvan die grootste deel van die Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking uitgesluit was. Klem is ook gelê op ingenieursprestasies in die uitvoering van beleid. Die besef dat waterbronne wêreldwyd en in Suid-Afrika beperk is met toenemende aansprake wat daarop gemaak word, het opnuut die aandag op verantwoordelike waterbeleid gevestig. Sedert Suid-Afrika se oorgang na 'n inklusiewe politieke demokrasie in 1994 is verskeie verreikende veranderings ten opsigte van politieke besluitneming en die openbare beleidproses ingestel. Nie alleen het die beleidmakingsproses verander nie, maar beleidsdoelwitte, -akteurs, -strukture en -organisasies het ook verander. Kortom, die beleidagenda verskil van die periode voor 1994. In hierdie studie is die konteks van beleidvernuwing in Suid-Afrika na 1994 geskets, en die beleidproses waardeur nuwe waterwetgewing gegaan het, is beskryf. Die rol van beleidakteurs en -gemeenskappe - in lyn met die beginsels van die Grondwet van 1996 wat openbare deelneming aan die demokratiese bestel aanmoedig - is ondersoek. Die implementering van die nuwe waterbeleid kon egter nie geëvalueer word nie, aangesien dit skaars 'n jaar gelede gepromulgeer is. Hierdie studie dien as 'n inleiding tot 'n navorsingsveld wat steeds braak lê met moontlikhede vir verdere navorsing.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / The asset management process and strategy has been adopted and implemented within the public sector. Although the National Treasury developed the Capital Asset Management Guidelines to assist with the development and implementation of the asset management system the guidelines have received very little attention over the years. The Auditor General’s findings indicate a lack of proper implementation of the asset management process. The study provides a clear indication of the implementation of the asset management process by most government entities, local government municipalities and the public sector. The outcome is that while most entities have made progress with regards to the implementation, much remains to be done. Most entities implement the asset management process selectively. This does not yield positive and sustainable results and they end up abandoning the whole asset management system. The report provides the process of successful development and implementation of asset management, it also indicate that if there are element that are missed or not properly done the process will not yield constant results or performance and the impact on the organization performance will not be positive. The management of the organization must ensure that asset management is aligned with strategic objectives of the organization and performance measurement must be directly linked with asset management, performance measurement should be used to determine progress and implementation. Service level agreements must be established between all relevant departments including the finance department and there must be agreement on the objectives between all stakeholders. The key to proper implementation is the alignment of the asset management process with the strategic objectives of the organization.

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the application of low cost high capacity inorganic ion exchange material, synthesized form collected fly ash and acid mine drainage solid residues, for the decontamination of secondary co-disposal process waters, with emphasis on investigating the processes governing the solid/solution interface.

Effluent from on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS) is generally known to impact groundwaters and surface waters with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and other contaminants. Little research has quantified this problem along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), especially in Indian River County (IRC) where there are 26,660 active systems. This study assessed the effects of OSTDS on contamination of surface and groundwaters along three urbanized canals and the St. Sebastian River in IRC, all of which flow into the Central IRL. Multiple lines of evidence were used to define the source of the nutrient loadings including the novel approach of using the artificial sweetener, sucralose, as an indicator of human sewage impact. Results indicate that areas with high densities of OSTDS are contributing N to surface waters and elevating N:P ratios through submarine groundwater discharge and promoting eutrophication in the Central IRL. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Efforts to abate Willamette River pollution between 1926 and 1962 centered on a struggle between abatement advocates and the two primary polluters in the watershed, the City of Portland and the pulp and paper industry. Throughout the twentieth century, the Willamette was by far the most heavily populated and industrialized watershed in Oregon. Like many other of the world's rivers, the Willamette was an integral part of municipal and industrial waste removal systems. As such, the main stem of the river carried the combined wastes from sewage outfalls serving hundreds of thousands of people and millions of gallons daily of pulp and paper making effluents. Exacerbating the impacts of these pollutants on the Willamette were unavoidable geologic and hydrologic constraints impacting the river's flow and, therefore, the river's ability to dilute wastes. As the pollution load in the Willamette River increased throughout the twentieth century, accustomed activities such as recreation, sports fishing, and commercial fishing, were constrained. The polluted water also threatened potential uses of the river, such as tourism and expanded recreation after World War II. To address these concerns, beginning in 1926 clean streams advocates created ad hoc groups of public health experts, sanitary engineers, conservationists, sportsmen, and others to pressure Portland officials and industry representatives to cease polluting the river. In November 1938, continued activism and lobbying from these groups led to the passage of a citizen's initiative creating the Oregon State Sanitary Authority (OSSA). From 1939 to 1962, the OSSA took the lead in the water pollution abatement issue and realized some limited successes including pushing Portland and other cities to build sewage treatment plants and regulating pulp and paper mill discharges. However, in spite of these accomplishments, the issue of water quality grew more complex and difficult through the 1950s, as reflected in Tom McCall's November 1962 television documentary Pollution in Paradise.

Copper and zinc are heavy metals commonly present in highway stormwater runoff. Discharge of these metals to surface waters inhabited by sensitive aquatic species including threatened and endangered salmonids has necessitated the need for improved treatment techniques. Although copper is of the greater toxicological concern, zinc is often present at concentrations several times higher than copper and may compete with copper during adsorptive treatment processes. In the current study, the ability biogenic fish-bone based alternative adsorbent, Apatite II™, for copper and zinc removal from synthetic stormwater runoff was evaluated. Batch experiments were employed to examine equilibrium removal and rapid small scale column tests (RSSCT) were used to simulate dynamic operation in continuous systems. In both batch and continuous systems, the release of phosphate and calcium were observed, and Apatite II™ achieved high removal efficiencies. The removal of copper and zinc was likely due to a combination of processes including adsorption, ion exchange and precipitation. Precipitation played a dominant role in copper removal and the release of phosphate and pH buffering appear to drive this process. While precipitation was also quite important for zinc removal, adsorptive removal also played a role. The findings from the current study provide a general understanding of the performance of copper and zinc removal from stormwater runoff using Apatite II™. / Graduation date: 2012