The events that followed reports of a strong petrol odour by a Bluff resident on 7 July 2001 were as much of a disappointment to SAPREF as they were a concern for the surrounding community.
Following the petrol leak that occurred in 2001, SAPREF instituted a rigorous remediation process to extract the free phase petrol from the ground. Since April 2006 no free phase petrol has been detected in the ground. A process of minitoring the natural attenuation (MNA) has since been used to monitor the the biodegradation in the areas where the plume had been. This will help us to understand what is happening to the groundwater in the area. We expect to continue with the MNA during this year as well as take soil samples and groundwater samples inside the previous plume area to confirm the status of the remediation process.