**Assessment of Impacts of Acid Mine Drainage on Surface Water Quality of Tweelopiespruit Micro-Catchment, Limpopo Basin** Assessment of Impacts of Acid Mine Drainage on Surface Water Quality of Tweelopiespruit Micro-Catchment, Limpopo Basin

Bloodless Dzwairo and Munyaradzi Mujuru Bloodless Dzwairo and Munyaradzi Mujuru

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/65810

### Abstract

This research aimed to contribute to current literature for Tweelopiespruit micro-catchment, Limpopo Basin, by trending SO4 2− , Cl<sup>−</sup> , Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ , K+ , Fe, pH and EC, for points F1S1, F2S2, W1S3, F6S7, F8S9, F10S11 and F11S12, as identified by the Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa, for years 2003 to 2008. Results showed that pollutant concentrations generally increased downstream, which questioned their possible sources since pollution generally attenuates towards downstream. A possible explanation was that groundwater (polluted with the effluent) could be decanting from various places, thus contributing to the increase in concentrations, in places. This could potentially add value to existing efforts, which aim to halt and reverse impacts of acid mine drainage (AMD) in the micro-catchment and possibly in the Goldfields (a highly negatively impacted environment), which incorporates the Cradle of Humankind. Conclusions reached could provide invaluable options for alternative technological or methodological approaches that could be adopted for the treatment of AMD. This is critical to South Africa's water quality trending and sustainability of this ecosystem, especially because the Tweelopiespruit micro-catchment supports humans and a variety of wildlife like giraffe, within the preserve of the Krugersdorp Game Reserve (KGR) and also its outer boundaries.

Keywords: acid mine drainage, Limpopo Basin, Tweelopiespruit micro-catchment, water quality, pollution
