Sampling of drinking water in Etosha National Park

Challenge

A survey of the drinking water infrastructure in Etosha National Park was done by the client, who recommended that water samples should be taken in all staff camps, tourist camps, tourist offices and at the gates, to assess the quality of drinking water in the park. SLR was appointed by the client to take the water samples and have these analysed.

Solution

Fifty-nine points were identified of which 43 were able to be sampled in the first round, and the remainder were sampled in a second round, as building was going on during the first round. This way all existing, upgraded and new infrastructures supplying drinking water to staff and tourists have been tested and reported on to the client.

SLR had two teams on the ground for this project. One team did the water sampling and chlorination tests in the park, and a second team ensured taking the samples through to the laboratory in the required time to analyse these as per required standards and agreement. Duplicate samples were taken on a regular basis to allow for quality checks regarding laboratory results.

Impact

A comprehensive report was compiled, recommendations given for optimising drinking water quality and a presentation on the findings was held, in order to share the findings with the relevant stakeholders.