Water

Lessons for the world from Cape Town’s water crisis.

When the long-term drought was at its worst, tourists to Cape Town were encouraged to “Save like a Local”. Together with a range of technical and legislative measures, the campaign to get Capetonians and their guests to use less water worked remarkably well.

Where the residents and businesses of the city were using 1.2-billion litres-per-day in 2015, by the middle of 2018 the figure was 516-million litres. While the taps were not literally turned off (the dreaded “Day Zero” was averted), pressure in the pipes was drastically reduced. The International Water Association’s Water Loss Conference in Cape Town in May 2018 reported that two of the world’s largest advanced pressure control systems are operating in Cape Town.

Restrictions on water use were introduced (car washing was outlawed completely, for example) and shopping centres introduced waterless sanitation. Cape Town’s hinterland thankfully experienced good winter rains but the town of Beaufort West in the Karoo continues to face a real crisis.

In 2017 Cape Town hosted Water Desalination Symposium Africa, further evidence that relying on rain to ensure reliable supply in the future is not being contemplated.

The coastal town of Witsand in the Hessaqua Municipality will receive drinkable water from a plant using reverse osmosis desalination technology powered by photovoltaic solar energy. This is world first for the application of this combination of technologies. French company Mascara Renewable Water is responsible for building the plant, in partnership with its local partner, TWS (Turnkey Water Solutions).

The response to the water crisis has included companies such as Sea Harvest and Oceana building their own desalination plants. The V&A Waterfront (pictured), and Tsogo Sun have also invested heavily in water projects. Old Mutual’s large

SECTOR INSIGHT

Solar-powered desalination plant is a world first.

campus in Pinelands is off the grid. The Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDAT) announced that investment into the Green Economy reached R1.2-billion in 2017/18. DEDAT also works on long-term water resilience with various stakeholders through an “Economic Water Security Workstream”.

Other steps to secure future water supply include the expenditure over R5.9-billion over five years by the City of Cape Town on desalination projects, aquifer extraction and water reuse. The National Department of Water and Sanitation is supposed to be responsible for bulk water supply, but the local authority has had to step in.

A Cape Town company has experience in rolling out desalination plants with big capacity. GrahamTek, a PSG company based in the Strand, is consulting on Middle East plants that produce more than 1 000-million litres per day. Another Cape-based company with international experience is Malutsa, who have provided drinkable water in crisis situations and have developed a robust mobile water purifier for the military.

To find the money to deal with the drought and the longer-term effects of climate change, the City of Cape Town issued a green bond for the first time in 2017. It was over-subscribed and allowed the city to get started on implementing its Climate Change Strategy.

Some of the long-term projects falling under the strategy include new electric buses, energy efficiency measures in city buildings, improved sewerage plants and the rehabilitation and protection of coastal structures.

In 2030 South African demand for water will be 17% greater than supply. That is the verdict of the 2030 Water Resources Group. The Water Resources Group, an international consortium of private companies, agencies and development banks, has established a South African chapter, the Strategic Water Partners Network.

In terms of its water infrastructure and maintenance of its wastewater treatments plants, the Western Cape fares well compared to other South African regions.

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has launched a climate action plan called Smart Agri which includes doing studies on conservation agriculture. The plan draws on the expertise of academics and companies in the private sector.

The Berg River-Voëlvlei Augmentation Scheme entails pumping water out of Berg River in winter, having first allowed for enough water to cover the ecological water requirements of the river and the estuary.

A Water Stewardship programme has been introduced in the Breede River catchment area. WWF-South Africa, Woolworths and Marks & Spencer are collaborating on a scheme encouraging stone fruit farmers to put in place systems that reduce risk to water supply and quality.

WWF-SA also has a Water Balance Programme which works to increase the amount of clean water coming into the environment. Woolworths’ contribution to this plan involves getting rid of alien vegetation on the farm where it sources its wines (Paul Cluver Wines) and in the Leeu River catchment area.

The introduction by the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA) of the Blue and Green Drop Awards has been successful. The nation’s municipalities receive scores reflecting how well they are doing in terms of providing clean water.

In order to win a Drop Award (Blue for water quality, Green for waste treatment), water systems have to score 95% or higher. The DWS has allocated R4.3-billion to helping municipalities deliver water. The Interim Water Supply Programme concentrates on 23 district municipalities.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Breede-Overberg Catchment Management Agency: www.breedegouritzcma.co.za National Department of Water and Sanitation: www.dwa.gov.za South African Water Research Commission: www.wrc.org.za Water Institute of Southern Africa: www.wisa.org.za Water Resources Group: www.2030wrg.org

Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency

Using water resources efficiently, effectively and wisely to build a sustainable future.

The Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency protects, develops, conserves, manages and controls water resources in a large area (the Breede-Gouritz Water Management Area, WMA) that extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the areas near the Orange River in the north and the Umzimvubu River in the east. Most of the WMA falls within the Western Cape Province.

Water Use Validation and Verification Project

This project is targeted specifically at existing water users. The project is being implemented by the BGCMA, together with consultants from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The project will conclude in 2019.

The project will confirm water use in the BreedeGouritz WMA, focusing on the Olifants and eastern and western coastal rivers. Specifically, it will identify: Who is using water? How much water is being used? Where it is being used? What is the water being used for? Finally, it will ask: Is the water use lawful?

The project does not address general water sector issues, queries or concerns such as water use licence applications, pollution, water use billing and charges.

The validation and verification of registered water use is critical in the management and control of water resources. Without this process, there could be unreasonable or unsubstantiated claims to water entitlements due to over-allocation, or an unfair or disproportionate use of water from a resource.

Detailed water use data will be prepared to enable the BGCMA to determine which properties in the project area have: registered their water use correctly, under-registered their water use, overregistered their water use or not registered their water use.

Unlawful water use, specifically the taking and storing of water, will come to light through the verification process.

Information obtained from the registration process is used to bill water users and billing will become more efficient and accurate following the completion of this project.

CONTACT INFO

Project contact details Jan van Staden Tel: +27 023 346 8005 Email: jstaden@bgcma.co.za Website: www.bgcma.co.za Users definition

Water users (agriculture, industrial, commercial, mining, domestic water supply) include those who take water directly from a watercourse (rivers and canals), boreholes, who have dams on their properties and who have commercial forestry plantations.

Users who receive water directly from a municipality or a water board or use water for smallscale domestic and non-commercial gardens or livestock purposes (Schedule 1 use) are not affected by the project.

IMPORTANT

Registration of water use is not an authoritisation or entitlement to use water and is subject to validation and verification by the BGCMA.