Groundwater resource management in urban Zambia

Groundwater forms the most important source of water supply in many urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Zambia meeting, in some cases, 100 per cent of the demand. 

In Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, inadequate city planning and provision of basic services means that most inhabitants lack improved sanitation, making underlying aquifers vulnerable to pollution from human waste, among other factors.

This study by the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC) was undertaken in St. Bonaventure Township, Lusaka, to create awareness around septic tanks being potential sources of groundwater pollution.