Dylan Blake

Dylan Blake is the Principal Geologist at Umvoto, where he has worked since early 2007. Dylan, who grew up in Amanzimtoti along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, completed his BSc undergraduate and Honours degree studies in Geology and Environmental Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he specialised in coastal/marine sedimentology, structural geology and applied environmental geology. He is currently registered for his MSc in Geology at the University of Cape Town, which focuses on the development of the Table Mountain Group Aquifers at Steenbras Wellfield for the City of Cape Town. Dylan received the young male runner-up and special mention for Excellence in Water Research Award for Young Researcher from the Water Institute of Southern Africa in 2010. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa (including being a member of the Groundwater Division), member of the Water Institute of Southern Africa, and is a registered professional natural scientist (Geological, Earth and Environmental Science Fields of Practice) with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions.

Dylan has over 15 years’ experience in the geology and hydrogeology of the fractured aquifers of the Cape and Karoo Supergroups; basement aquifers of the Malmesbury Group, Cape Granite Suite, and Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Province; dolomitic karst aquifers of the Malmani Subgroup; and primary sand aquifers along the South African coastline and major river courses. He also has hydrogeological experience in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Malawi. Dylan has undertaken numerous groundwater assessments and sited high yielding boreholes for farms, industries, hospitals, towns, schools, solar facilities and municipalities in geologically complex regions across South Africa. Some of the high yielding holes he has sited, designed and supervised the drilling and testing of include the ~190-220 m deep H1A2, H1A3b and H8A13 Nardouw Aquifer production boreholes at Steenbras Wellfield (City of Cape Town; tested yield of 50-70 l/s each), the ~160-220 m deep GWP16 and GWP17 Peninsula Aquifer production boreholes at Gateway Wellfield (Hermanus; tested yield of 25-50 l/s each), and the 1002 m deep H8A9 Peninsula Aquifer production borehole at Steenbras Wellfield (tested yield of 15 l/s, and the deepest municipal production borehole in South Africa). His knowledge of coastal zone dynamics and processes along the South African coastline has also allowed Umvoto Africa to undertake large-scale coastal hazard and disaster risk reduction assessments for the City of Cape Town and Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

Some of the large projects he has worked (and continues to work) on include municipal groundwater development in the Hermanus, Stanford and Oudtshoorn areas; the City of Cape Town Table Mountain Group Aquifer feasibility study and New Water Programme in the vicinity of Steenbras, Theewaterskloof and Wemmershoek Dams; groundwater exploration for proposed potash mining in the Danakil Depression of northeast Ethiopia; Malmani Subgroup dolomites groundwater feasibility plan within the Olifants River Water Supply System for the national Department of Water and Sanitation; and emergency groundwater supply for ten hospitals and community health clinics as part of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape Business Continuity Plan. In his spare time Dylan enjoys all things science fiction related, snorkelling, bodyboarding (when he can find warm water), and attending esoteric heavy music festivals in Europe such as Roadburn and Hellfest. He is also a founder and director of the newly formed non-profit company The Umvoto Foundation, which was established to support people and communities to achieve clean and healthy water systems, and through this vibrant, safe and resilient communities. The foundation also has a strong interest in promoting geoheritage and geoethics, which are also strong interests of Dylan’s.