LEVEL OF DAM DROPS TO BELOW 25 PER CENT
LEVEL OF DAM DROPS TO BELOW 25 PER CENT
The level of the Wolwedans Dam, the Mossel Bay Municipality’s main source of water, has this week dropped to below 25 per cent.
This means that the following water restrictions published last week have now become effective:
- The watering of gardens with municipal water, grey, used or own water excluded, is prohibited.
- The washing of motor vehicles with municipal water is prohibited, except in the case of existing bona fide car wash businesses. .
- The levy for consumption of more than twenty (20) kilolitres per household connection per month is increased from 100 per cent to 200 per cent.
- The level at which water flow restriction devices may be installed for the account of the property owner is reduced from 20 (twenty) kilolitres per month to 15 (fifteen) kilolitres per month per household connection.
- The writing off of water tariffs because of water leakages will not be considered, regardless of the date of origin of the leakages.
- The watering of all sports fields with municipal water is prohibited.
The fine of R1 000 per transgression of the restrictions as well as the existing ban on the hosing down of roofs, walls, driveways and other surfaces remains in force.
“The town is quite frankly in an extremely grave situation as far as its water supply is concerned. If everybody co-operates by saving water the supply from the dam will last until August 2010 if it does not receive rain before then.
“It is of course not possible to know what the weather is going to do over the next few months, but judging by the historic rainfall patterns for this time of the year, the prospects are bleak,” said the Municipal Manager, Dr Michele Gratz.
Dr Gratz said the development of additional water sources is receiving top priority at present and could extend the water sources for a few more weeks beyond August 2010.
“The reverse osmosis effluent water treatment plant which is under construction at Hartenbos at a cost of R49 million is progressing according to schedule and the imported pumps whose delivery was delayed because of the volcanic ash problem in Europe have now arrived on site. The plant is designed to supply up to five megalitres of purified effluent water per day to PetroSA’s synthetic fuels plant with effect from the end of June 2010. This means that PetroSA’s withdrawal of water from the dam will be reduced by an equivalent amount, and that the water saved in this way will then be available to the Municipality.
“The first of approximately ten boreholes that will be drilled by the Municipality is also progressing well in the Friemersheim area. Drilling of the first borehole commenced last Friday and we hope to get an additional 3 megalitres a day from boreholes.
Dr Gratz said that the Municipality has also decided to proceed as a matter of urgency with the erection of a sea water desalination plant that will produce up to 5 megalitres of potable water per day. A consulting engineering firm has already been appointed to develop and co-ordinate the project for the Municipality. The objective is to have this project on stream by September 2010.
She said water from this source would be expensive and the project would cost the Municipality approximately R80 million. As it might not be possible to find external funding for the project, the funds may have to be raised by increasing rates and reprioritising capital expenditure projects in the current and 2010/2011 financial years. She said that this could result in the cancellation or indefinite postponement of certain capital projects. Furthermore, the operational cost to run such a plant is high due mainly to the high electricity consumption and provision of approximately R5 million will have to be made in the budget for that.
“The bottom line is that all municipal water users should endeavour to reduce their consumption further. It is heart-rending to see gardens, into which a lot of hard work and capital had gone, going to waste. The fact is, however, that our drinking water supply is under threat and that unfortunately does not leave us much of a choice,” said Dr Gratz.
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