Examining water quality and transport implications of alternative supply during a drought in a South African municipality

The Eastern Cape Province is a drought-prone area and it had been impacted by water service delivery problems for several decades. At the same time, there have been widespread instances of the need to supply water from alternative potable sources as to meet the drinking water demand of the population. Further to this point, there is an ongoing need to collect and evaluate water quality data from drought-affected areas in the Eastern Cape. In the current study, the authors seek to achieve two aims. Firstly, there is a need to conduct an investigation of the potable water quality from the local municipalities in the Eastern Cape where such investigations have not been common recently. Secondly, the authors seek to conduct an investigation into the carbon footprint of provision of alternative bottled water into a local municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Turbidity, pH and presence/levels of faecal contamination of drinking water were measured. In addition, the carbon footprint of the supply of bottled water was estimated for road transport of 5 litre bottles. Results indicate that microbial water quality is a problem and there is finite, but significant carbon dioxide emissions due to supply of alternative water sources. There is significant carbon footprint of the shipping of bottled water into the Eastern Cape Province, should the municipal water supply break down completely. The study results point to the need to monitor and treat the alternative sources of potable water in the study area. This is necessary protect human health and environment.