Borehole water quality and health risks in rural communities: a consumer perceptive analysis

Abstract

The study explored perceptions regarding the experiences and perceptions of people in rural areas regarding the quality of borehole water and the health risks involved. A country-wide study using face-to-face and virtual meetings was implored to interview the respondents. In five of the nine South African provinces, purposefully selected focus groups were used to interview the participants. The members were carefully gathered due to their previous knowledge and/or experiences with boreholes or water contaminants. In the other four provinces, four conveniently sampled individuals who were willing to share their impressions were interviewed. The participants unanimously mention that the water quality in boreholes of government is poor, and that there are dangerous contaminants in the water. The knowledgeable groups were aware of some studies in their areas that had found various forms of agricultural deposits, minerals, chemicals, and even dirty deposits from other areas. They also complained that the boreholes were not maintained, and the water had become undrinkable. These sentiments were confirmed from individual responses through interviews, concurring that borehole quality is generally poor, and the health risks are very high. The paper recommended innovative methods to treat boreholes and clean the water to improve its quality and reduce the health risks that pollute the water.