News24.com | Rains are breathing Cape Town authorities to find a new mix of water supply



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While the average level of Cape Dams is 53.3% this week – double what it was this year last year – City Council continues to go from the front with new sources of water in the city's supply system. 19659002] The Deputy Mayor of the Town of Cape Town, Ian Neilson, said: "This is not the case if we do it, but when and how."

With the growing demand for a growing population and economy Forecasting a drier climate in Cape Town, the City realized that it could not rely solely on rainfall for the city. 39, future supply of water.

"Our rainfall variability is much greater than in the past, so we must change our water supply strategy. If we only rely on surface waters, we could find ourselves in a similar situation, "said Neilson

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This constitutes a break with the suspended municipal governments their plans for water supply. The early winter rains have given officials and politicians the breathing they need to review the water augmentation plans launched at the height of the drought crisis in order 39, establish the best possible combination. [19659002] Unnecessary Simplistic Comparisons

"Now that we have gone through the crisis of immediate drought, it is necessary to review our water supply strategy and our plans for increase in water supply. 39 Ensure that what has been designed The crisis is appropriate for sustainability and long-term resilience, "Neilson said.

Water resilience is the new expression among water leaders and managers, and incorporates the idea that planning and use should be be managed in a new way so that a city can anticipate and adapt to the shocks and stresses of water scarcity – a reality for many cities that did not consider themselves short of energy. ;water.

The city was working with the World Bank, the Stockholm International Water Institute and 100 resilient cities to ensure that the revised augmentation program was the best response to the reality of the Cape water situation.

to make simplistic comparisons with what other countries were doing – like Israel with its mbadive desalination plants.

Israel had to take this route, which was expensive and energy intensive because it had no other choice. Cape had options, he added.

The water from temporary desalination plants cost between R35 and R40 per kiloliter (1,000 L). The water from the rain dams is about R5 per kiloliter.

million. Neilson said that small-scale temporary desalination plants were particularly expensive, but that they were a strategic choice at the height of the drought. However, large scale permanent desalination plants are less expensive.

Conservative Approach to Groundwater Extraction

"We are busy doing this right now, looking at size and time scales.

The city had concluded two – year contracts with the temporary desalination plants, which stipulated that the city would not pay any of the capital costs, only for the water.

Two of them were already being exploited, in Strandfontein and at the V & A Waterfront, Monwabisi Beach would be online by the end of July

An international study of the city's resilience program had recommended that temporary desalination not be continued in the long term because of

(19659002) But groundwater relies on rainfall to replenish it, and before it could be added to Cape Town's water supply, a system was needed to establish what could be done. e extract in a sustainable way. For this reason, the city's approach to the use of groundwater was cautious.

Xanthea Limberg, a member of the Water and Water Services Committee, said that due to the intense drought, the program to increase the "[19659021] "A great deal of experience has been gained over the past year through the development of various projects and advice from professionals and experts, both locally and internationally. This knowledge informs the current agenda and priorities, "said Limberg

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