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Vol. 38 No. 1 (2026): Vol 38 Issue 1, 2026

Copyright (c) 2025 Landry Sendango Omalanga

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Current Status and Key Challenges of Water Quality in the Olifants and Orange-Vaal River Systems, South Africa

https://doi.org/10.14233/ajchem.2026.34777
Landry S. Omalanga
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Building Science, School of Engineering and Built Environment, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0003, South Africa
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1536-3475
Ednah K. Onyari
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Building Science, School of Engineering and Built Environment, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0003, South Africa
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6606-2675

Corresponding Author(s) : Landry S. Omalanga

omalals@unisa.ac.za

Asian Journal of Chemistry, Vol. 38 No. 1 (2026): Vol 38 Issue 1, 2026

Abstract

This comprehensive review assesses the water quality in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Olifants and Orange-Vaal River systems. Both rivers serve as vital water sources for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes but face significant pollution challenges. This review integrates findings from recent peer-reviewed studies to characterize the dominant sources of contamination, evaluate their impacts on aquatic ecosystem integrity and assess associated risks to human health. It further outlines a suite of targeted, evidence-based recommendations to enhance water quality management within the Olifants and Orange-Vaal River catchments. These recommendations include implementing integrated and adaptive water resources management frameworks, expanding advanced monitoring, modelling and early-warning systems, strengthening regulatory enforcement, enhancing public environmental literacy, and improving coordination among government, industry and civil society. Collectively, the findings highlight the pressing need for coordinated, long-term interventions to protect South Africa’s freshwater systems under intensifying anthropogenic pressures and projected climate-change impacts.

Keywords

Surface water quality Pollution sources Ecological impact Health impact Orange-Vaal river Olifants river
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Omalanga, L. S.; Onyari, E. K. Current Status and Key Challenges of Water Quality in the Olifants and Orange-Vaal River Systems, South Africa. ajc 2025, 38, 21-28.
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