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

This report presents the thematic analysis of an anonymous online survey conducted by WWF South Africa to understand citizen perspectives on groundwater use, regulation, and information needs in Cape Town. Based on responses from 74 participants, the document explores motivations for borehole installation, the perceived need for regulation to prevent over-abstraction, and recommendations for a public information dashboard.

• 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 respondents who installed boreholes was to use less municipal water, driven by a desire to help the municipality save water, gain independence from the municipal supply, or avoid increased water tariffs.
• Borehole installers generally do not provide information on responsible groundwater usage upon installation; instead, the few respondents who had such information accessed it themselves via the City of Cape Town, the Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa, or the National Water Act of South Africa.
• For those without boreholes, the most common reason for considering an installation was to achieve 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.
• Respondents identified the quality of groundwater being drawn as the most desired type of information, followed by the amount of water drawn, the total number of registered boreholes in Cape Town, and the depth of groundwater below the surface.
• The preferred method for accessing groundwater information is via a web page, followed by email, mobile apps, WhatsApp, and SMS.
• Citizens are viewed as the group that would benefit most from groundwater information, followed by government, researchers, future borehole owners, civil society organisations, property developers, agriculturalists, and policymakers.
• The report notes a significant lack of local groundwater quality data for the greater Cape Town area, stating that it is not clear if any historical or current data exists at the City of Cape Town level.

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} }