WC Water Update – R974 million in funding allocated for disaster recovery

WC Water Update – Funding allocated for disaster recovery

8 October 2018

Statement by Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell.

  A financial allocation of R974 million has been made by the National Treasury and the National Disaster Management Centre towards disaster recovery programs and projects in the Western Cape.

Anton Bredell, the minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape has welcomed the allocation and says the bulk of the funding has been allocated to drought alleviation and drought combating programs across the Western Cape.

“In addition, the funding will allow for the province to recover from the severe storms which occurred in June 2017 as well as the resultant and devastating fires which occurred in Knysna and Bitou Municipalities at the time.”

The bulk of the drought funding - to the amount of R553 million - was allocated to the City of Cape Town for drought alleviation projects and specifically for the Cape Flats, Table Mountain Group and Atlantis Aquifer projects.

Other disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction projects that have been funded includes:

• R25.8m to the Provincial Department of Education for the construction and rehabilitation of 22 schools in the province following the storms and fires in 2017

• R28.9m to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for emergency boreholes in the Theewaterskloof region.

• R30m to the National Department of Water and Sanitation for drought alleviation in the Oudtshoorn Municipality.

• R63.6m for other drought related projects across the province, allocated to the National Department of Environmental Affairs.

• R170m to the Provincial Department of Agriculture for livestock feed for farmers

• R41.9m to the Provincial Department of Agriculture for the Landcare Program which includes alien clearing and managing irrigation channels.

• R54m was allocated for environmental rehabilitation and stabilisation projects in Knysna which will reduce the risk of fires as well as mud slides during heavy rains

Dam levels in the province continue to recover with the average level for dams across the Western Cape currently at 66% (2017: 36%). Bredell says the Cape Town dams system now sits at 76% full, an incredible improvement over the past four months.

“The province is grateful for the welcome relief but we would urge that water use remains at the low levels we have seen over the past few months. From the province’s side, we continue to monitor the situation.”

Major Dam statistics

Theewaterskloof dam – 58.4% full this week (2017: 27.6%. Last week: 57.6%)

Voëlvlei dam – 96% full this week (2017: 27%. Last week: 95%)

Bergriver Dam 99% full this week (2017: 65%. Last week: 100%).

Clanwilliam Dam 100%. (2017: 40%. Last week: 100%) 

The latest dam level data per the National Department of Water and Sanitation

ENDS.