GIS-mapping of fluoride contaminated groundwater in Nakuru and Baringo district, Kenya

• Main Authors: Näslund, Jörgen, Snell, Ingemar
• Format: Bachelor Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Technology; Minor Field Study; Kenya; Nakuru; Lake Baringo; GIS; Fluoride; Groundwater; Teknik; Sida; Luleå
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-56091

This Master of Science thesis has been carried out in Nakuru and Baringo Districts in the Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The thesis was performed as a Minor Field Study (MFS) financed by the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (SIDA), through the “Internationella Programkontoret”. High fluoride levels in the ground water are a major problem that leads to diseases related to a high fluoride intake amongst people. In the Rift Valley Province, Kenya the bedrock consists of fluoride bearing minerals which contaminate the water. High levels are more common in deeply drilled boreholes than in surface water. Catholic Dioceses of Nakuru (CDN) is a non – governmental organization stationed in Nakuru working with defluoridation methods to remove fluoride from drinking water. In 1985 they started a Water Programme with extensive activity within water supply and quality. In their continuous work a GIS- map over fluoride levels in boreholes would be useful. This thesis summarizes the work with creating a GIS –map. The map shows location and 6 other parameters of interest from 195 boreholes drilled by CDN. Except from the work with the GIS –map this report also summarize results from a field study in an area around Lake Baringo in Baringo District. The aim with the field study was to investigate and overview the water situation. All in all 52 water sources were found, 7 permanent and 45 seasonal. The results and conclusions from the field study are presented in this report. They will hopefully facilitate the decision-making process for CDN. A CD with data files concerning the GIS-map can be received from Division of Sanitary Engineering at Luleå University of Technology. Validerat; 20101217 (root)