Human burial in cemeteries facilitates the decomposition of corpses without posing a public health danger. However, the role of cemeteries as potential environmental reservoirs of drug-resistant pathogens has not been studied. Thus, we investigated cemeteries as potential environmental reservoirs of multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic Escherichia coli. E. coli isolates were obtained from water samples (collected from surface water bodies and boreholes in three cemeteries) after isolation using the Colilert^® 18 system. Pathogenic potentials of the isolates were investigated using real-time polymerase chain reactions targeting seven virulence genes (VGs) pertaining to six E. coli pathotypes. The resistance of isolates to eight antibiotics was tested using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. The mean E. coli concentrations varied from <1 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL to 2419.6 MPN/100 mL with 48% of 100 isolates being positive for at least one of the VGs tested. Furthermore, 87% of the isolates were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested, while 72% of the isolates displayed multi-drug resistance. Half of the MDR isolates harboured a VG. These results suggest that cemeteries are potential reservoirs of MDR pathogenic E. coli, originating from surrounding informal settlements, which could contaminate groundwater if the cemeteries are in areas with shallow aquifers.

The geothermal potential of the Main Karoo Basin has not been addressed in the past. A first assessment of Permian sandstone formations in the Eastern Cape Province, including down-hole temperature data from deep boreholes, and evaluation of groundwater temperature and heat flow values from literature leads to 3130 TWh (11.3 EJ) of power generation potential within the central and southern parts of the basin. The low permeability lithotypes may be operated as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), depending on the fracture porosity in the deeper subsurface. In some areas auto-convective thermal water circulation might be expected and direct heat use becomes reasonable