Thematic analysis results for the WWF citizen science groundwater project in Cape Town

The report analyses survey data from 74 respondents in Cape Town regarding their use of boreholes and views on groundwater management. Key findings indicate that while many citizens use or consider boreholes to reduce reliance on municipal water and mitigate drought risks, there is strong support for regulating groundwater to prevent over-abstraction. The document also identifies a significant gap in the availability of local groundwater quality data and recommends the creation of a public information dashboard, preferably via a web page, to provide data on water quality, abstraction amounts, and borehole registration.

• Of the 74 survey respondents, 17 (23.0%) have a borehole installed on their property, while 57 (77.0%) do not.
• The primary motivation for installing a borehole is to reduce the use of municipal water, driven by a desire to help the municipality save water, achieve independence from the municipal supply, or avoid increased water tariffs.
• Borehole installers generally do not provide information on responsible groundwater usage upon installation; respondents who did have such information typically accessed it themselves via the City of Cape Town, the Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa, or the National Water Act of South Africa.
• Among respondents without boreholes, 26 have considered installation, primarily to ensure a more reliable water supply, followed by irrigation needs, independence from municipal supply, and cost savings.
• A majority of respondents (65) believe borehole water usage should be regulated, primarily to prevent over-abstraction and ensure equal access and fair use of the shared resource.
• Citizens expressed the strongest desire for access to information regarding the quality of groundwater being drawn, followed by the amount of water being drawn, the total number of registered boreholes in Cape Town, and the depth of groundwater.
• A web page is the most preferred method for accessing groundwater information, followed by email, mobile apps, WhatsApp, and SMS.
• There is a notable lack of local groundwater quality data for the greater Cape Town area; the report notes that the City of Cape Town has neglected the Cape Flats aquifer in this regard and that it is unclear if any historical quality data exists for the area.

APA

Jacobs, C. (n.d.). Thematic analysis results for the WWF citizen science groundwater project in Cape Town. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/4_annexure_4_appendix_a_thematic_analysis_results.pdf

Chicago

Jacobs, Carl. Thematic analysis results for the WWF citizen science groundwater project in Cape Town. WWF South Africa, n.d. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/4_annexure_4_appendix_a_thematic_analysis_results.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jacobs |first1=Carl |title=Thematic analysis results for the WWF citizen science groundwater project in Cape Town |publisher=WWF South Africa |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/4_annexure_4_appendix_a_thematic_analysis_results.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jacobsndthematic, author = {Jacobs, Carl}, title = {{Thematic analysis results for the WWF citizen science groundwater project in Cape Town}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/4_annexure_4_appendix_a_thematic_analysis_results.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }