A preliminary assessment of the chemical and microbial water quality of the Chunies River – Limpopo

The aim of this study was to do a preliminary assessment of the chemical and microbial surface water quality of the Chunies River. For this purpose sampling was undertaken on 25 and 26 May 2002, and a range of chemical (macro-elements, micro-elements and heavy metals) and microbial variables (HPC, total coliforms and faecal coliforms) were measured. The chemical water quality of the second section of the river, fed by base-flow, was poor and unacceptable for both domestic and agricultural use. The microbial water quality was unacceptable for domestic use throughout the course of the river due to faecal and coliform pollution. The most significant finding of this study was that the chemical water quality of the Chunies River, at the time the samples were taken, was acceptable and fit for agricultural and domestic use.