Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Water – Sampling – Technique'

Water vapor in the airspace of an unsaturated fractured rock may be sampled by reduction of the air temperature of the medium to its dew point and retrieval of the condensed liquid sample. The required temperature Change was generated in this research by a thermoelectric cooling module, which operates according to the Peltier cooling effect. Laboratory studies of this technique involved the development of the module’s heat sink system and calibration of the instrument for cooling temperatures and condensation rates obtained by variations in the applied current. Temperature and vapor density Changes produced in the air space surrounding the instrument when operated in a moist environment were also evaluated. Field studies performed in an unsaturated, fractured, densely-welded tuff have shown the instrument to be capable of vapor collection, although at a rate lower than that established under laboratory conditions. Applications of this technique include evaluation of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of moisture in unsaturated media and travel time studies of flow through the unsaturated zone using isotopes as tracers.

An automated tungstic acid technique (TAT) has been successfully used to measure gaseous HNO₃ in the presence of water vapor. The TAT is based on the diffusion of gaseous HNO₃ to the interior walls of a tube coated with tungsten VI oxide (WO₃), where it is selectively chemisorbed. The collected HNO₃ sample is thermally desorbed from the WO₃ surface, as NO, and measured by a chemiluminescent oxides of nitrogen analyzer. The integrated analyzer response is directly proportional to the nitric acid collected. Based on nitric acid hydration characteristics, a decrease in the diffusion coefficient and thus collection efficiency for denuder type measurement techniques may result with increased atmospheric water vapor (i.e., relative humidity). This study emphasizes the effect of water vapor (i.e., relative humidity) as a potential interferent for HNO₃ collection with the TAT system. The effect of water vapor (< 78% RH) on the collection efficiency for HNO₃ with the tungstic acid technique is negligible at 25°C, but is significant only at elevated sampling temperatures. This threshold effect is further substantiated and eliminated when a modified sampling collection system was designed with coolant capabilities. The new design has been tested to sub-part-per-billion (NO_x analyzer detection limit) levels with minimal loss of gaseous HNO₃ signal, thereby increasing sensitivity to atmospheric HNO₃ concentrations and maintaining the gas/aerosol sample integrity.
Ph. D.

During a membrane introduction (MI) analysis the analytes are separated from the bulk matrix (e.g. air or water) by a semi-permeable membrane and transported to the detector by a carrier gas (usually helium). The most commonly used detector for MI-analyses is the mass spectrometer, resulting in membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS). The main advantages of MIMS are short response times, high sensitivity, simplicity and elimination of sample preparation and pre-separation. Membrane introduction analyses are suitable for detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). In this project the applicability of MIMS and membrane introduction flame ionization detector (MIFID) for oil analyses were tested. Investigations of 12 different oil samples from light crude oils to heavy oils were performed by MIFID and MIMS for both water and air (only two oil samples were analyzed by water MIMS). For the oil in air analyses good response were achieved, and information about response times and half-times could be obtained within a reasonable period of time. The water analyses however showed some limitations. Even after long analysis times (up to 1200 minutes) useful information on response time were rarely obtained, and no half-times for depletion could be measured. Pre-equilibration of the oil samples seems to be necessary to enable reasonably fast MI analyses of water samples (approximately) equilibrated with the oil, allowing an estimation of oil concentrations in water. For the MIMS analyses spectral information are obtained, providing an indication of the content of the oil samples, as well as information about how the abundance of different ions change throughout the analyses due to weathering.Best results were obtained by the lighter oil samples, due to higher amounts of compounds favorable for MI-detection. Analysis times obtained were slightly shorter for MIFID analyses, as compared to MIMS analyses.

Mercury is one of the most toxic heavy metals, and many serious incidents have resulted from mercury poisoning. The methylation of mercury and its amplification by marine life have aggravated this pollution problem. Studies over the last three decades have shown that the toxicity of mercury is related to chemical form. A basic aim of the research has been to devise new methodology for the measurement and speciation of mercury. Key points of the investigation reported were the literature review of methodologies and techniques for mercury speciation and the development of a novel manifold which incorporates microcolumns of sulphydryl cotton which have a relatively high affinity and selectivity for inorganic and / or organomercury, and to utilise a continuous flow procedure for mercury speciation based on flow injection-atomic fluorescence spectrometry. This new and novel system has been used for the determination and speciation of mercury in a variety of water samples. The other column packing materials, eg. xanthate cotton, activated alumina and 8-hydroxy-quiniline were also investigated. A further aspect of element speciation concerns the development of a field sampling technique using sulphydryl cotton columns. Sample collection and preconcentration using microcolumns at the site of sampling was successfully performed. Preliminary experiments indicated that the field sampling technique in combination with FIA-AFS was a robust and potentially useful speciation tool. Field surveys on mercury distribution and speciation in the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Rother have been intensively carried out in collaboration with the National Rivers Authority (North West Region). The analytical data on different mercury species in waters of the Manchester Ship Canal are reported for the first time. A high correlation between organomercury and organolead in the Manchester Ship Canal is found and the related data have been assessed in order to clarify the possible origins for organomercury. Related work concerning participation in interlaboratory studies is reported in the Appendices.

There has been increasing concern about the widespread occurrence and persistence of pesticides in the environment. Pesticides can transport among and between environmental compartments, causing pollution in water, soil and air, and posing potential risks to humans and the ecosystem. There is a need to study the fate and behaviour of pesticides in the environment. Over the last few decades passive sampling approaches have aroused attention in detecting pesticides, but they are still under development. In this thesis, the passive sampling technique of diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) was developed and validated for pesticides in water and soils for the first time. The DGT technique was developed for in situ measurement of 9 pesticides in water. The compounds were carefully selected to represent a wide range of properties and classes, so that the technique may have wider applicability in future. Two types of binding material (HLB and XAD 18) were used and compared. Laboratory testing was carried out with various controlled experiments. HLB showed higher binding capacity but with slower uptake than XAD 18. The principle of DGT was confirmed as the mass accumulated by DGT was inversely related to the thickness of diffusive layer and proportional to the deployment time. The performance of the DGT sampler was found to be independent of pH (4.7-8.2), dissolved organic matter concentration (< 20 mg L-1) and ionic strength (0.01-0.25M). Several laboratory and field trials were conducted to confirm the usage of DGT for in situ measurement of pesticides in water and soils. DGT has great potential to be applied to trace organic contaminant studies in soils and sediments, but so far work research on this line has been very limited. DGT was therefore investigated for in situ measurement of atrazine (ATR) and its 5 metabolites in soils, and compared with other two approaches to predict bioavailability to maize and to assess the ATR degradation pathway. The results showed that DGT performed best in measuring the bioavailability of total ATR (ATR and its metabolites) to maize. Hydroxylation was the dominant degradation procedure during aging and maize growth in the test soils. This could be well characterized using DGT. DGT was also deployed in a group of aged soils with different pH, soil types and ATR contaminated levels, to explore the behaviour of atrazine in soils and its sorption/desorption. Soil properties had influence on the labile pool size (Kd) and re-supply capability of ATR (R), while aging affected the labile pool in some soils, but had only a slight influence on re-supply. The DIFS (DGT-induced fluxes in soil/ sediment) model was employed to further characterize the kinetics of desorption from the solid phase to the solution phase, this showed that desorption kinetics and the labile pool size commonly affected the re-supply. Owing to the frequently simultaneous occurrence of ATR and arsenic (As) in the environment, DGT equipped with precipitated ferrihydrite binding gel was deployed to investigate the effect of ATR on the availability of As in soils. The addition of ATR did not impact on the measurements of As availability in the test soils, in the concentration range (up to 50 mg kg-1 ) used. This research has demonstrated that DGT is an effective tool for measuring pesticides in soils and waters. It can be used for monitoring purposes, and in experiments designed to better understand pesticide fate, behaviour, availability and to help with assessment of their risk in the environment.

An extensive amount of natural gas trapped in the subsurface is found as methane hydrate. A fundamental understanding of natural hydrate-bearing sediments is required to engineer production strategies and to assess the risks hydrates pose to global climate change and large-scale seafloor destabilization. This thesis reports fundamental studies on hydrate nucleation, morphology and the evolution of unsaturation during dissociation, followed by additional studies on sampling and pressure core testing. Hydrate nucleation is favored on mineral surfaces and it is often triggered by mechanical vibration. Continued hydrate crystal growth within sediments is governed by capillary and skeletal forces; hence, the characteristic particle size d10 and the sediment burial depth determine hydrate morphologies in natural sediments. In aged hydrate-bearing sand, Ostwald ripening leads to patchy hydrate formation; the stiffness approaches to the lower bound at low hydrate saturation and the upper bound at high hydrate saturation. Hydrate saturation and pore habit alter the pore size variability and interconnectivity, and change the water retention curve in hydrate-bearing sediments. The physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments are determined by the state of stress, porosity, and hydrate saturation. Furthermore, hydrate stability requires sampling, handling, and testing under in situ pressure, temperature, and stress conditions. Therefore, the laboratory characterization of natural hydrate-bearing sediments faces inherent sampling disturbances caused by changes in stress and strain as well as transient pressure and temperature changes that affect hydrate stability. While pressure core technology offers unprecedented opportunities for the study of hydrate-bearing sediments, careful data interpretation must recognize its inherent limitations.

This thesis describes the application of a passive sampler, Diffusive Gradient in Thin Films (DGT), to the measurement of uranium in natural waters. Four resins (Chelex-100, manganese dioxide [MnO2], Diphonix® and MetsorbTM) were trialled with the DGT device. In freshwater environments, the MetsorbTM accumulated uranium in line with the DGT equation for 7 d with an acuracy of 75%; Chelex-100 did not accumulate uranium past 2 d; MnO2 accumulated up to 75% of that predicted by the DGT equation for 4 d; and the Diphonix® accumulated uranium for 7 d with an accuracy of ~100%. None of the resins tested in this study accumulated uranium in a marine setting in line with DGT predicted values past 2 d. The application of DGT to regulatory environmental monitoring schemes was investigated with MetsorbTM. The MetsorbTM DGT devices were deployed for 7 days at a time over a 6 month period at two freshwater field sites. Fluctuations in water chemistry were monitored and the size of the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) was measured. The uranium accumulated by the MetsorbTM DGT showed close agreement with the grab samples. The size of the DBL was found to be significant, particularly in low flow conditions. This study showed that DGT could be used as a tool to both monitor radioncludes in the environment, and to obtain information on the speciation and organic interactions. The lability of uranium-humic acid complexes was also examined in this study. Initial data shows that the uranyl-humic complex is labile in low pH environments, but becomes increasingly kinetically limited the higher the pH and the higher the humic acid:uranium ratio. Data is also presented on the penetration parameter of the uranyl ion into the resin gel layer, and how this can be used to indicate lability. Lability is important in determining bioavailability and potential toxicity of uranium.

Recently, examination of deoxyribonucleic acids in water samples (environmental DNA or eDNA) has shown promise for identifying fish species present in water bodies. In water, eDNA arises from bodily secretions such as mucus, gametes, and feces. I investigated whether eDNA can be effective for characterizing fish presence, relative abundance, biomass, and species composition in a large Arizona reservoir (Theodore Roosevelt Lake) and 12 small Arizona (<24 ha) waterbodies. Specifically, I compared fish presence, relative abundance (catch per unit effort [CPUE]), biomass (biomass per unit effort [BPUE]), and species composition measured through eDNA methods and established American Fisheries Society (AFS) standard sampling methods in Theodore Roosevelt Lake and 12 small waterbodies. Environmental DNA sampling resulted in detection of Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum at a higher percentage of sites than boat electrofishing, both in spring and fall. Contrarily, gill nets detected Gizzard Shad at more sites than eDNA for both spring and fall sampling in Lake Roosevelt. Boat electrofishing and gill netting detected Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides at more sites than eDNA, with the exception of fall gill net sites which equally detected Largemouth Bass at sites within Lake Roosevelt. Environmental DNA detected Largemouth Bass and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus at more Arizona small lakes than detection with established gear methods. I observed no relationship between relative abundance and biomass of Largemouth Bass and Gizzard Shad measured by established methods and their DNA copies at individual sites or by lake section in Lake Roosevelt. Likewise, I found no relationship between relative abundance and biomass of Largemouth Bass and Bluegill measured by established methods and their DNA copies across 12 small waterbodies. Plot analysis conceivably illustrated that reservoir-wide catch composition (numbers and total weight of fish [g]) achieved through a combination of gear types (boat electrofishing + gill netting) for Largemouth Bass and Gizzard Shad was slightly similar to the proportion of total eDNA copies of each species for both spring and fall field sampling. Likewise, spring and fall gill net surveys somewhat portrayed total catch composition (numbers and total weight of fish [g]) of Largemouth Bass and Gizzard Shad similar to the proportion of total eDNA copies of each species. The exception was the total lack of similarity illustrated between proportions of fish caught in spring and fall boat electrofishing and total eDNA copies of each species in Lake Roosevelt. However, the deceptive similarity of all the plots were not present in the chi-square analysis with the exception of fall gill net surveys in Lake Roosevelt. In addition, eDNA did reflect the relative proportions of Largemouth Bass and Bluegill in total catch composition in some, but not all of 12 small Arizona waterbodies. The ease of eDNA sampling over established fish sampling makes it appealing to natural resource managers. Compared to current established fish sampling methods, eDNA sampling can be less laborious, less time consuming, and more cost effective. Environmental DNA sampling may be useful in sites that have difficult access such as remote sites. However, evaluation of eDNA is necessary to identify limitations and benefits in fish monitoring programs. Furthermore, field sampling protocols, filtration, DNA extraction, primer design, and DNA sequencing methods need further refinement and testing before incorporation into standard fish sampling surveys.

La DCE a pour principale ambition d’harmoniser les politiques de l’eau sur un plan européen et d’atteindre le bon état des eaux d’ici 2015. L’évaluation de ce “bon état” implique en outre de dresser l’inventaire, dans les masses d’eau, des 33 substances prioritaires listées en annexe X de la DCE (annexe X, décision No 2455/2001/EC) et pour lesquelles des normes de qualité environnementales (NQE) ont été fixées (Directive 2013/39/EU). Parmi ces substances figurent les polychloroalcanes (SCCPs) et les polybromodiphényléthers (PBDEs) appartenant à la catégorie des micropolluants halogénés “émergents”. D’un point de vue analytique, leur détermination dans l’eau constitue actuellement un enjeu majeur, tant sur le plan de l’échantillonnage que de la sensibilité.Dans ce contexte, ce travail de thèse s’est attaché au développement d’une méthode d’analyse des SCCPs dans les eaux par SPME couplée à la GC/ECNI-MS. Les limites de quantification inférieures à 0,2 µg.L-1 et son degré d’automatisation font de cette méthode un outil de choix pour assurer le monitoring des milieux aquatiques tels que requis par la DCE. En complément de l’approche classique, un pilote de calibration en laboratoire pour l’étalonnage d’échantillonneurs passifs a pu être mis en place et validé pour la calibration des MESCO avec les HAPs. La participation à un essai interlaboratoire a permis de tester l’applicabilité des MESCO et des SR pour l’analyse des PBDEs en sortie de station d’épuration. Enfin la mise en application des LDPE, SR et MESCO sur l’étang de Berre a permis d’obtenir des résultats encourageants quant à l’applicabilité de ces échantillonneurs passifs pour l’analyse des SCCPs et PBDEs
In order to achieve good water quality for 2015, the water framework directives (WFD 2000/60/EC and 2013/39/EU) force European countries to monitor the quality of their aquatic environment. For this purpose, all water bodies shall be monitored for all the 33 priority substances listed in annex X of WFD (annex X, decision No 2455/2001/EC) and for which environmental quality standards (EQS) were fixed (Directive 2013/39 / EU). Among these substances, we found the short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) belonging to the class of emergent halogenated micro-pollutants. From an analytical point of view, the analysis of SCCPs and PBDEs in water is still a major challenge, either in terms of sampling or sensitivity.In respect of WFD, this thesis work has, among other things, aimed to develop a method to analyze SCCPs in water by using SPME coupled with GC/ECNI-MS. The limit of quantification below 0.2 µg.L-1 and its degree of automation makes this method a tool of choice to ensure the monitoring of the aquatic environment as required by the WFD. In addition to the traditional approach, a laboratory system for passive sampler calibration was also developed and validated to calibrate MESCO for PAHs analysis. Moreover, our participation in an inter-laboratory study, has served to test the applicability of MESCO and SR for the analysis of PBDEs in a waste water treatment plant. Finally the deployment of LDPE, SR and MESCO in Berre lagoon has yielded some encouraging results about applicability of these passive samplers to analyze SCCPs and PBDE in water

Environmental sensing is experiencing tremendous development due largely to the advancement of sensor technology and wireless technology/internet that connects them and enable data exchange. Environmental monitoring sensor systems range from satellites that continuously monitor earth surface to miniature wearable devices that track local environment and people's activities. However, transforming these data into knowledge of the underlying physical and/or chemical processes remains a big challenge given the spatial, temporal scale, and heterogeneity of the relevant natural phenomena. This research focuses on the development and application of novel sensing and inference techniques in air and water environments. The overall goal is to infer the state and dynamics of some key environmental variables by building various models: either a sensor system or numerical simulations that capture the physical processes.

This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the background and motivation of this research. Chapter 2 focuses on the evaluation of different models (physically-based versus empirical) and remote sensing data (multispectral versus hyperspectral) for suspended sediment concentration (SSC) retrieval in shallow water environments. The study site is the Venice lagoon (Italy), where we compare the estimated SSC from various models and datasets against in situ probe measurements. The results showed that the physically-based model provides more robust estimate of SSC compared against empirical models when evaluated using the cross-validation method (leave-one-out). Despite the finer spectral resolution and the choice of optimal combinations of bands, the hyperspectral data is less reliable for SSC retrieval comparing to multispectral data due to its limited amount of historical dataset, information redundancy, and cross-band correlation.

Chapter 3 introduces a multipollutant sensor/sampler system that developed for use on mobile applications including aerostats and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system is particularly applicable to open area sources such as forest fires, due to its light weight (3.5 kg), compact size (6.75 L), and internal power supply. The sensor system, termed “Kolibri”, consists of low-cost sensors measuring CO2 and CO, and samplers for particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Kolibri is controlled by a microcontroller, which can record and transfer data in real time using a radio module. Selection of the sensors was based on laboratory testing for accuracy, response delay and recovery, cross-sensitivity, and precision. The Kolibri was compared against rack-mounted continuous emission monitors (CEMs) and another mobile sampling instrument (the ``Flyer'') that had been used in over ten open area pollutant sampling events. Our results showed that the time series of CO, CO2, and PM2.5 concentrations measured by the Kolibri agreed well with those from the CEMs and the Flyer. The VOC emission factors obtained using the Kolibri are comparable to existing literature values. The Kolibri system can be applied to various open area sampling challenging situations such as fires, lagoons, flares, and landfills.

Chapter 4 evaluates the trade-off between sensor quality and quantity for fenceline monitoring of fugitive emissions. This research is motivated by the new air quality standard that requires continuous monitoring of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) along the fenceline of oil and gas refineries. Recently, the emergence of low-cost sensors enables the implementation of spatially-dense sensor network that can potentially compensate for the low quality of individual sensors. To quantify sensor inaccuracy and uncertainty of describing gas concentration that is governed by turbulent air flow, a Bayesian approach is applied to probabilistically infer the leak source and strength. Our results show that a dense sensor network can partly compensate for low-sensitivity or high noise of individual sensors. However, the fenceline monitoring approach fails to make an accurate leak detection when sensor/wind bias exists even with a dense sensor network.

Chapter 5 explores the feasibility of applying a mobile sensing approach to estimate fugitive methane emissions in suburban and rural environments. We first compare the mobile approach against a stationary method (OTM33A) proposed by the US EPA using a series of controlled release tests. Analysis shows that the mobile sensing approach can reduce estimation bias and uncertainty compared against the OTM33A method. Then, we apply this mobile sensing approach to quantify fugitive emissions from several ammonia fertilizer plants in rural areas. Significant methane emission was identified from one plant while the other two shows relatively low emissions. Sensitivity analysis of several model parameters shows that the error term in the Bayesian inference is vital for the determination of model uncertainty while others are less influential. Overall, this mobile sensing approach shows promising results for future applications of quantifying fugitive methane emission in suburban and rural environments.

Dissertation

A novel, portable, filter fluorometer was developed for the determination of chloroform and TCE at environmentally-relevant levels when coupled with improved sampling techniques and reagents. Reagents selective for the TCE or chloroform convert these toxic species into fluorescent species that can be monitored. The fluorometer is based on LED excitation light sources, a battery-operated photomultiplier tube as a radiation detector, and appropriate excitation and emission filters. A unique low-power, miniature heater inside the cell holder of the fluorometer provides control of the temperature of the reagent solution above ambient temperature. The fluorometer and the sampling systems, including a miniature air pump, are portable and can be operated from a small lead battery over an entire day. Sparging, passive transfer, and membrane sampling techniques were used to transfer TCE or chloroform from the sample solution as a vapor into the appropriate reagent and to provide preconcentration. The apparatus for membrane sampling was improved to be applicable for continuous sampling of water in the field situations with minimal sample manipulation. Each of the three sampling techniques provides a transfer rate of the analyte of ~1 ng/min per ng/mL of analyte in the sample. The optimized reagent based on 1-(3-pyridylmethyl)urea provides high selectivity to chloroform and the reagent based on isonicotinamide has excellent selectivity to TCE. These two reagents serve as an alternative to the more common pyridine reagent for the determination of chloroform or TCE in water and eliminate the exposure of the user to toxic pyridine vapor. The developed filter fluorometer, the optimized reagents, and the membrane sampling technique provide a detection limit for chloroform of 0.2 and 10 ng/mL, respectively, with the pyridine and 1-(3-pyridylmethyl)urea reagent. The detection limit for TCE is 0.3 ng/mL with the isonicotinamide reagent. For TCE, the detection limit is almost two orders of magnitude better than obtained previously with a fluorometric technique. Analysis times vary from 15 to 30 min.
Graduation date: 2003

Rapid bioassessment techniques used for aquatic macroinvertebrate and plants in wetlands were tested in New South Wales, Australia. Wetlands surveyed ranged from coastal wetlands in the North and Central parts of the State, to tableland wetlands west of Sydney. Wetlands varied in dominant vegetation, hydrology, substrate and level of human impairment. Different options for sampling (mesh size, live-picking times, quadrat size, number of samples or quadrats) and analysis (taxonomic resolution, transformations, biotic indices, multivariate and univariate analyses) are compared to determine optimal sampling effort and evaluate the effects of errors or variability. Results show that, for wetlands of New South Wales, sampling procedures developed and tested in streams and other regions of Australia may not be the most efficient. Using the data from 21 wetlands in New South Wales, a number of analytical techniques were evaluated for the effects of errors. Results show that species-level multivariate analysis is more sensitive in detecting less obvious differences between wetlands (i.e., small effect sizes), while family-level analyses are more appropriate for large effect sizes. A modified waterplant index was developed that is simpler and has a wider application than the other Australian options available. Inherent problems in each index tested were addressed. The results show that the process of summarising a large amount of information into a single value will result in the loss of both information and variability between samples and this cumulative effect of error may effect the assessment of wetland condition. The practical outcome of this thesis is a set of standardised steps to assess wetland quality using biological assemblages. The results show that protocols and indices for rivers are not directly transferable to palustrine, vegetation dominated wetlands. I present protocols that are more appropriate to wetlands and recognise that each protocol would need to be adapted for each wetland type. Despite the need for flexible protocols, I promote the need for a standard approach to wetland sampling and the need for consideration of the effects of errors in sampling designs. This study highlights the need for more research on the response of specific stressors to wetlands flora and fauna. The results from this study also show that wetland macroinvertebrates and plant communities can be used as surrogates in multivariate analyses for detecting large differences between wetlands (wetland types) but that impact assessment requires more detailed investigations including species identification and careful consideration of the choice of reference and control sites. In conclusion I emphasise the need for scientific rigour in the use of biological indicators and consideration of the effects of errors and implications to sampling designs.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph.D. (Statistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019
This study presents the application of Direct and Indirect methods of Small AreaEstimation(SAE)techniques. Thestudyisaimedatestimatingthetrends and the proportions of households accessing water, sanitation, and electricity for lighting at small areas of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study modified Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey series 2009-2015 and Census 2011 data. The option categories of three variables: Water, Sanitation and Electricity for lighting, were re-coded. Empirical Bayes and Hierarchical Bayes models known as Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods were used to refine estimates in SAS. The Census 2011 data aggregated in ‘Supercross’ was used to validate the results obtained from the models. The SAE methods were applied to account for the census undercoverage counts and rates. It was found that the electricity services were more prioritised than water and sanitation in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province. The greatest challenge, however, lies with the poor provision of sanitation services in the country, particularly in the small rural areas. The key point is to suggestpolicyconsiderationstotheSouthAfricangovernmentforfutureequitable provisioning of water, sanitation and electricity services across the country.