Know the worth of water

Writer: Dr Anina Lee.

When the well is dry, we’ll know the worth of water. – Benjamin Franklin

Hermanus has a long history of searching for water. The first fresh, clear water in the area that is now Hermanus was found by Hermanus Pieters who watered his sheep at a spring just below the present Marine Drive. The first settlers in Hermanus built their homes at a spot west of Hermanuspietersfontein called Rietfontein in the present Westcliff. Again, a source of fresh water was vital to settlement.

The new GWP17 Gateway Wellfield Production Borehole.

Later, the growing town used water from the Onrus River stored in a reservoir near the present Gateway Centre. In the 1930s three dams were built on the Mossel River to supply the needs of the residents.

When De Bos Dam was built in 1976 it promised to be the answer to Hermanus’ water needs for many years. At the time, Onrus had sufficient water of its own, but the Hermanus Municipality insisted that this be discontinued and that everyone should buy water from the dam.

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