ABSTRACT
Water supply reservoirs in urban Southern Africa are becoming more prone to pollution due to rapid urbanisation, resulting in the deterioration of the quality of raw water abstracted from these reservoirs. The deterioration is mainly due to algal blooms which impart taste and odour to the water. There is therefore need for water service providers to be able to predict the distribution of these pollutants in order to optimise treatment and produce safe and aesthetically acceptable water to the consumers. Numerical models are useful in prediction and they require as part of input, bathymetry data for the reservoir. This paper sought to describe the generation of the bathymetry for Vaal Dam reservoir for use in a numerical model for future water quality investigations. This was achieved by use of specialised software. It was concluded that application of spatial information systems is essential for water quality management
