Dye tracing of the Lusaka karstified aquifer system: implications towards urban groundwater quality protection

Management of groundwater resources requires a large amount of data, coupled with an understanding of the aquifer system behavior. In developing countries, the scarcity in groundwater data has led to aquifers being managed according to rule-of-thumb standards or even abandoned as unmanageable at times. Groundwater quality protection thus has been through prescribed separation distances often without due regard for internal and boundary characteristics that affect response rates of groundwater movement, attenuation of pollutants, and recharge. In this study, we examine the boundary characteristics of the highly vulnerable karst aquifer system in the rapidly expanding city of Lusaka using a dye tracer technique. We investigate the flow dynamics (magnitude and direction) of groundwater using dye tracer dyes (fluorescein and rhodamine) spiked in pit latrines and observed at discharge springs. The results provide irrefutable evidence that pit latrines are a source and a pathway to contamination of groundwater. Dye tracer movement in groundwater was rapid, estimated at 340 and 430 m/day for fluorescein and rhodamine, respectively, through interconnected conduit density. The vadose zone (epikarst) tends to store diffuse recharge before release to the phreatic zone. These rapid groundwater movements render regulatory separation minimum distances of 30 m between abstraction wells and pit latrines/septic tanks in such environments to be an ineffective means of reducing contamination. The policy focus in the protection of groundwater quality should henceforth be on robust sanitation solutions especially for low-income communities that recognize the socio-economic diversity.

Automated summary

Management of groundwater resources is hindered by a lack of data and understanding of aquifer behavior. The scarcity of groundwater data in developing countries often leads to ineffective management or abandonment of aquifers. Traditional methods of groundwater quality protection, such as prescribed separation distances, fail to consider internal and boundary characteristics that impact response rates and contamination. A study on the karst aquifer system in Lusaka found that pit latrines are a significant source and pathway of groundwater contamination. Rapid movement of dye tracers in groundwater highlights the inefficiency of regulatory separation distances in reducing contamination. Policy focus should shift to robust sanitation solutions for low-income communities.