Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Scarborough & Kommetjie, Western Cape

The report details the creation of a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network in Scarborough and Kommetjie, Western Cape, commissioned by WWF South Africa. Following a significant increase in borehole drilling during the 2015-2019 drought, the study employed desktop searches and a hydrocensus of 105 properties to identify groundwater users and monitoring sites. Four Solinst Leveloggers were deployed to track water levels and temperature, with data integrated into the Table Mountain Water Source Area Groundwater Dashboard. Findings indicate that borehole depths range from 1 to 60 metres, with water levels between 2.5 and 4 mbgl and electrical conductivity values between 54.8 and 150.7 mS/m. The report recommends continued stakeholder engagement and quarterly data downloads to ensure sustainable groundwater management.

• The 2015 to 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 105 properties in Scarborough and Kommetjie found that 27.6% of visited users completed surveys, identifying 12 boreholes and 17 wellpoints. Most of these were drilled between 2016 and 2020, suggesting they were a response to the drought.
• Borehole depths in the study area range from 1 to 60 metres. The targeted geological formations differ by location: quartzitic sandstones of the Peninsula Formation in Scarborough and sandy soils of the Springfontyn Formation in Kommetjie.
• Stakeholders expressed concerns regarding high iron content in the groundwater, as well as risks related to over-abstraction and the depletion of groundwater resources.
• A monitoring network consisting of four Solinst Leveloggers was deployed (three in boreholes and one in a well) between November 2021 and March 2022. Initial data shows rest water levels between 2.5 and 4 mbgl and electrical conductivity (EC) values between 54.8 and 150.7 mS/m.
• Monitoring data is manually downloaded and uploaded to the Table Mountain Water Source Area Groundwater Dashboard (groundwaterinfo.africa) to provide visibility of seasonal fluctuations and regional abstraction to stakeholders.

APA

Tomlinson, A., Holloway, M., & Barrow, D. (2022). Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Scarborough & Kommetjie, Western Cape. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_d_scarborough_kommetjie.pdf

Chicago

Tomlinson, Ashleigh, Michael Holloway, and Dale Barrow. Establishing a citizen-science groundwater monitoring network for Scarborough & Kommetjie, Western Cape. WWF South Africa, 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_d_scarborough_kommetjie.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 Scarborough & Kommetjie, Western Cape |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=14 April 2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_d_scarborough_kommetjie.pdf |access-date=23 October 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 Scarborough \& Kommetjie, Western Cape}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/3_annexure_3_appendix_d_scarborough_kommetjie.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }