18 December 2019
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www.thevillagenews.co.za
Remember to save water this summer season Writers: Elaine Davie and De Waal Steyn
W
hile large parts of the country are still firmly in the grips of the worst drought in a century, the Overstrand has been fortunate not to have experienced any serious impact due to water shortages. Although adequate rainfall and decades of efficient planning by various administrations have largely contributed to this, it must be remembered that this region is considered a water-scarce area and both residents and visitors are therefore urged to use water sparingly and responsibly. While individual households are the smallest consumers of water, they have the largest potential impact. “If households and businesses can save 20%, then we can prevent the De Bos dam level from dropping to 28% before next year when the winter season starts again,” says Hanré Blignaut, Deputy Director: Engineering Planning at the Overstrand Municipality (OM). He adds that the average water usage for Hermanus is around 10.3 million litres per day and in the holiday season it nearly doubles, hence the need for level 3 water restrictions. “The most practical way to limit potable water usage is to place severe restrictions on the watering of gardens, to refrain from filling swimming pools with municipal water and not to use hosepipes. Residents and holidaymakers are also urged to cut down on large laundry washes
and to consider using buckets in the shower to collect water that can be used for flushing toilets and watering gardens,” says Blignaut. All the sports fields, including Qhayiya High School, the Mount Pleasant sports grounds, Hermanus High School, Hermanus Primary School, the Bowling Club, Old Boys Cricket Club, Hermanus Golf Course and Curro School have connections to the grey water line, which is recycled and treated waste water. None of these fields receive potable water. When it comes to access to water, Hermanus undoubtedly drew the short straw in comparison to its smaller neighbours in the Overstrand. According to historian, Dr Robin Lee, from its earliest days residents of the little settlement were in a constant state of anxiety about the availability of water. Its original name, Hermanuspietersfontein, is indicative of the fact that there was at least one natural spring in the area, but as the population grew, even with the discovery of other small streams and springs, it was clearly not enough. Hermanus regularly found itself in the grip of severe water shortages, especially as it expanded and became a popular destination for holidaymakers. It was clear to both citizens and the municipality that some overarching, long-term solution would have to be found. A number of options were considered and finally in the 1950s it was decided to build a dam in the mountains above the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. For a number of reasons, the project was put on hold for 20 years, and it was not till 1976 that the De Bos dam was completed. The dam has a capacity of
The Hermanus Frail Care Centre t/a SOFCA
Our Christmas Wish List
SOFCA was established 34 years ago as a registered NGO & NPO We are a residential home that offers 24-hour care for the frail & infirm elderly residents of Hermanus and surrounding areas. SOFCA cares for many residents who are not able to afford their full fees which results in substantial losses for us and makes any capital expenditure an enormous challenge. In light of this, we are appealing to local businesses and individuals to help us so our residents can live happily, safely and comfortably.
R750 000
Wishing You & Your Loved Ones a Wonderful Christmas and a Prosperous New Year Contact Details: SOFCA, 1 Hospital Street, Hermanus 7200 Tel: 028 312 3236 email: sofca@telkomsa.net website: www.sofcahermanus.co.za or find us on Facebook
Bank Details: Nedbank, Hermanus Name of account - SOFCA Branch Code - 147005 Account No. – 1470014343 Ref: Xmas/(your email address)
LEVEL
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5 950 mega-litres and Hermanus can withdraw 2 800 mega-litres a year from it. According to Blignaut during the 83 years that rainfall records have been kept, the past five have been well below the average. The main problem resulting from this is that the De Bos Dam is only at approximately 57% full at the moment, in comparison with the much higher levels of most other Western Cape dams, including Theewaterskloof which only last summer had practically dried up. “Apart from lower rainfall, the reason for the low level of the dam,” says Blignaut, “is that it has such a small catchment area, only 32 km². Furthermore, with the town’s ongoing growth in population size, water provision needs to stay ahead of the continually escalating need. Although 70% of our water is still drawn from the dam, Hermanus also has three excellent well fields, part of the Peninsula aquifer, from which we are currently pumping another 30% of our water. Ten productive boreholes were sunk in 2013 and although we have just drilled another two opposite the Gateway Centre, it will be a while before these go live,” he says. In the meantime, the smaller towns on either side of Hermanus have been sitting pretty, with no water concerns to disturb their tranquillity – and so they remain to this day. To the West, Kleinmond relies on the perennial Palmiet River with its catchment in the mountains near Grabouw. Although it is usually at its lowest level in February/March, it is flowing strongly at the moment and has never let the town down. Further along the coast, Betty’s Bay, Pringle Bay
WATER RESTRICTIONS
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THESE MEASURES APPLY TO THE GREATER HERMANUS AREA – PLEASE REDUCE USAGE Gardens may be watered with buckets or watering cans Please water gardens before 09:00 or after 17:00 No irrigation systems using municipal water may be used Hosing down of paving and cement surfaces are not allowed. No washing of vehicles with a hose will be permitted Vehicles may only be washed using a bucket. No filling of swimming pools with municipal water; use rainwater
and Rooiels all draw their water from the Buffels River Dam in the mountains, which is currently 100% full. To the East of Hermanus, Stanford has a very strong spring, from which the town draws only a fraction of its capacity, as well as from two boreholes. The greater Gansbaai area, on the other hand, draws its water from the Kraaibosch Dam, which is also 100% full, thanks to its large catchment area of more than 200 km². Small towns like Baardskeerdersbos, Buffelsjag and Pearly Beach are also well supplied with water.
