Health Risks of Waste Disposal in Water: Scientific Data Versus Households’ Perception in Ba-Phalaborwa Limpopo, South Africa

Background: There has been abundant evidence and knowledge in the literature on the health risks of waste disposal in water. Yet, households’ perception of health risks is often regarded as erroneous and inferior, while scientific data, specifically water quality data, is viewed as superior and accurate. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-four questionnaires were administered in four villages and analyzed using SPSS version 29.0 and Excel. Water samples were collected from the Ga-Selati River during the dry and wet seasons. Water quality assessment and MiniSASS were used to compare water quality indicators with the perceived health risks. Results: The results show that variations exist between households’ perception of health risks and the scientific data from the laboratory, ascertained water quality indicators. Some perception statements match with laboratory data in relation to Temperature, pH, and Electrical conductivity (EC), Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved oxygen (DO), Turbidity, Nitrates, Phosphorus and Bioindicators. Conclusion: Our study highlights the need for a dialogue between households and researchers to develop new strategies to prevent the risks associated with waste disposal in water.