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FCJ Independent Newspaper of the Year
21 NOVEMBER 2018
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L’chaim to Hermanus
28 YEARS
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Gateway goes green
A visitor from Germany couldn’t help but take a ‘selie’ with a local on the rocks at Onrus Beach. PHOTO: Anena Burger, Palindrome Pictures
Be water wise as dry season starts Writer De Waal Steyn
W
ith temperatures in the Overberg rising, and the beaches illing up with sun-seekers, residents need to be mindful of their water usage. Water is one of our scarcest commodities and, while the Overstrand’s water supply is supplemented by boreholes – and in future by desalinated water – it is evident that,
measured against rainfall igures and population growth, we must change the way we consume water. Between 50% and 60% of current municipal water usage is for gardening purposes. Millions of litres can be saved by planting water-wise gardens. International research has shown that the average daily water usage per capita in SA is 235 litres compared to an average of 173 litres per capita in the rest of world.
Although we had a very wet September, with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) measuring the total rainfall for the month at 77,4 mm against the 70-year average of 50,6 mm, October saw only 17,2 mm measured against an average of 51,5 mm. While there has been no real shortage of water in the Overstrand compared to other parts of the Western Cape, only three of the last
10 months showed above-average rainfall. In February of this year 55,8 mm of rain was recorded against an average of 29,5 mm. The August measurement came in at 90,5 mm compared to 81,8 mm. However, on average for this year until the end of October, rainfall was down by 18%. During our traditional wet months of June, July and August we received 12,5% less rain than average. SANSA statistics show that,
while Hermanus received an average annual rainfall of 608 mm over the past 70 years, rainfall for the last three years has been below that. In 2015 an average of 466.6 mm was recorded, with 538 mm in 2016 and 524 mm in 2017. From January to October 2018 the total measured by SANSA came to 449,7 mm. The average rainfall since 2015 has been just above the level that would qualify as a meteorological drought. Continues on Page 3