CoCT working around the clock on plans to overcome water crisis

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Cape Town - As dam levels continue to drop, the City says it is working to ensure various water augmentation plans come online to supplement the declining water supply, with the V&A Waterfront desalination plant expected to go online next week. The City invested R1.4 billion during the 2017/2018 financial year for water augmentation, while they have budgeted for just over R2bn for the next financial year. Last year, the City received about R20.8 million from the national Department of Cooperative Governance for emergency disaster relief. Xanthea Limberg, mayoral committee member for informal settlements, water and waste services and energy said they are currently in the process of receiving a further R100m from the national department. To date, she said they have not received a cent from the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) for any of their current bulk water supply systems on the go.

However, DWS spokesman Sputnik Ratua disagreed.

He said DWS was paying for drilling at the Table Mountain Group Aquifers.

Limberg said this was not the case as some of the money came from the Department of Cooperative Governance and the rest from the City’s budget.

She also said DWS was paying for the drilling taking place at the Atlantis Aquifer.

Limberg said the Atlantis Aquifer has been a long-term project of the city. Limberg confirmed that DWS issued the Water Use Licences, but she feels that they should be paying for the desalination plants as it falls under bulk water supply infrastructure.

“In my opinion, it is for DWS to provide bulk water supply infrastructure."

“With the impact of climate change DWS also has the responsibility to diversify their water supply resources,” said Limberg.

She said municipalities are responsible for the reticulation and treatment of water to homes and businesses.

Ratua said the city and the province’s bulk water supply infrastructure would have been sufficient if the drought had not happened.

DWS is currently working on the Berg River-Voëlvlei augmentation scheme which allows them to divert surplus water into the Voëlvlei Dam.

The average level of dams in the city is currently standing at 21.9%, with the largest dam Theewaterskloof standing at 10.5%.

Ray de Vries, founder and CEO of Air Water Company said dam levels, specifically Theewaterskloof Dam, stood at 21% during the same time last year.

Weekend Argus