Cape Town Announces Strategies to Ensure Future Water Supply | Western Cape Government

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Cape Town Announces Strategies to Ensure Future Water Supply

13 September 2005
A number of significant strategic initiatives to reduce water demand as well as to plan for future water supply schemes were announced by the City of Cape Town's water team during a media visit to water installations.

Mayoral Committee member for Trading Services, John Mokoena, and Water Director Sipho Mosai, briefed journalists on the ten point strategic plan for the implementation of Water Demand Management in Cape Town.

An Integrated Water Leaks Project will also be introduced throughout the City. A pilot project will be implemented in M'fuleni.

Following on from the success achieved with the Khayelitsha Pressure Management System, the City intends implementing pressure management systems in M'fuleni and other areas. Communication and media awareness campaigns will continue.

The City is also busy with the implementation of an effluent re-use scheme from the Potsdam Wastewater treatment plant. This scheme will ultimately supply some 38 million litres per day of treated effluent for industrial use and irrigation. Other effluent re-use schemes are also under investigation.

The Berg River dam near Franschhoek is currently under construction and will be completed in 2007. This dam should ensure that the City has an adequate supply of water for the next six to seven years.

The potential of the Table Mountain Aquifer, a hard rock aquifer in the Hottentots Holland mountain range, as a possible future water resource is being investigated. The City has also taken a decision to implement a pilot desalination plant so that lessons for ultimate large-scale desalination can be learnt well before such schemes are needed.

The Department of Water Affairs has initiated a "Reconciliation Study" to match current and future water demand requirements with adequate supply to make sure that economic growth is not unreasonably constrained. The Reconciliation Study will also develop a strategy to guide future water resource development for the City of Cape Town, surrounding local authorities and agriculture.

The City is contributing towards this Study.

The Reconciliation Study is going through a public participation process and all members of the pubic who wish to register as Interested and Affected parties are invited to contact Aileen Anderson on tel. 021 481 2481 for further information

The City is reviewing its Water Services Development Plan (WSDP). This sets out how it is planning for and going to deliver water and sanitation services to its consumers over the next five years. The WSDP will be part of the City's Integrated Development Plan (IDP). All water consumers are encouraged to be part of the public process, due to start in a few months' time, in developing the WSDP.

Issued by:
Communication and Marketing
City of Cape Town
Email: media@capetown.gov.za
Tel: 021 400-2201
Fax: 021 957 0023

Media Queries:
Momelezi Skweyiya
Cell: 083 335 0337

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