Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Constantia & Bergvliet, Western Cape

This report details the establishment of a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network in the Constantia and Bergvliet residential areas of the Western Cape, South Africa. Commissioned by WWF South Africa and executed by GEOSS South Africa, the project responded to a surge in borehole drilling following the 2015–2019 drought. The study combined desktop research and a hydrocensus of 309 properties to identify groundwater use and establish a network of five monitoring boreholes equipped with Solinst Leveloggers. Data from these loggers is integrated into a public Groundwater Dashboard to improve transparency and sustainable management of the Table Mountain Strategic Water Source Area.

• The 2015–2019 drought in the Western Cape and City of Cape Town led to a significant increase in the number of boreholes and wellpoints, resulting in an unquantified rise in groundwater abstraction volumes.
• A hydrocensus of 309 properties in Constantia and Bergvliet identified 41 boreholes and 11 wellpoints among the 52 stakeholders who completed surveys. Most of these were drilled between 2016 and 2020, indicating they were a response to the drought.
• Boreholes in the study area typically range from 15 to 70 metres in depth, targeting the sandy soil of the Springfontyn Formation and the fractured Peninsula Formation.
• Stakeholders expressed mixed views on groundwater; while many were satisfied, others raised concerns regarding over-abstraction, the depletion of resources, and high iron content in the water.
• The 'Die Oog' natural freshwater spring is a focal point for local residents, who provided detailed observations on its seasonal water level fluctuations and expressed strong interest in its preservation.
• A monitoring network consisting of five Solinst Leveloggers was installed in private boreholes between February and March 2022. Initial data from March 2022 showed water levels between 7 and 16 mbgl and electrical conductivity (EC) values between 40.8 and 82.5 mS/m, which are classified as “good” to “marginal”.
• Monitoring data is manually downloaded and uploaded to the Table Mountain Water Source Area Groundwater Dashboard (groundwaterinfo.africa) to make water level trends and seasonal fluctuations visible to all stakeholders.

APA

Tomlinson, A., Holloway, M., & Barrow, D. (2022). Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Constantia & Bergvliet, Western Cape. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_b_constantia_bergvliet.pdf

Chicago

Tomlinson, Ashleigh, Michael Holloway, and Dale Barrow. Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Constantia & Bergvliet, Western Cape. WWF South Africa, 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_b_constantia_bergvliet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tomlinson |first1=Ashleigh |last2=Holloway |first2=Michael |last3=Barrow |first3=Dale |title=Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Constantia & Bergvliet, Western Cape |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=14 April 2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_b_constantia_bergvliet.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tomlinson2022establishing, author = {Tomlinson, Ashleigh and Holloway, Michael and Barrow, Dale}, title = {{Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Constantia \& Bergvliet, Western Cape}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_b_constantia_bergvliet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }