Assessing Feasibility of Water Resource Protection Practice at Catchment Level: A Case of the Blesbokspruit River Catchment, South Africa

The operationalization of water resource protection initiatives for surface quality and equitable allocation is critical sustainable socio-economic development. This paper assessed Blesbokspruit River Catchment’s status, using the South African Water Quality standards Index (WQI). Protection levels quality, waste discharge point sources were set evaluated total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) chemical mass balance (CMB) techniques, respectively. study found that results analysed physico-chemical parameters (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, F−, pH, EC, SO42−) data collected from 2015 to 2022 within limits standards, except NO3− PO42−. area was categorized as acceptable drinking purposes with WQI 54.80. application TMDL approach resulted in 77.96 mS/m electrical conductivity (EC), 9.92 mg/L phosphate (PO42−), 15.16 nitrate being catchment. CMB be a useful tool evaluation source discharges into resources. recommends techniques practice.