KZN facing worst drought since 1982

ToxicBunny said:
No questions on that front...

I will say that eThekwini at least does seem to be trying to get on top of the water infrastructure problem...
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This, I think they are making an effort in the face of a big problem- pipe infrastructure in places like Cowies hill is seriously old.
 
ToxicBunny said:
Ummm just for reference, they are doing lots but there is only so much they can do in a water scarce country like ours...
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That is good to hear, I just wish they would communicate it. My reaction to the comments this morning would have been dramatically different if the had said something like "we are doing x and y to secure supply for the next 20 years and this reservoir will be completed by late 2019 in the mean time we need people to reduce usage.."

It's just joe public like me is totally unaware of what they are doing.


People have to become more aware of how the use water, its just the reality of the world we live in.
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On this I cannot agree with you more, people tend to treat it like it's an infinite resource that will be there as long as the tap they open to get it.

I don't know enough about the science behind it, but to me it seems that it is a semi-infinite resource, in that whatever is used is returned to the system in same way or form in the future, but it certainly is not necessarily going to be usable. I have seen articles and “documentaries” that believe future wars would be fought over water like they have over other resources which I can easily believe.
 
Eniigma said:
I don't know enough about the science behind it, but to me it seems that it is a semi-infinite resource, in that whatever is used is returned to the system in same way or form in the future, but it certainly is not necessarily going to be usable.
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Useful definition on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_resource#Water_resources

Water can be considered a renewable material when carefully controlled usage, treatment, and release are followed. If not, it would become a non-renewable resource at that location. For example, groundwater is usually removed from an aquifer at a rate much greater than its very slow natural recharge, and so groundwater is considered non-renewable. Removal of water from the pore spaces may cause permanent compaction (subsidence) that cannot be renewed.
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Eniigma said:
That is good to hear, I just wish they would communicate it. My reaction to the comments this morning would have been dramatically different if the had said something like "we are doing x and y to secure supply for the next 20 years and this reservoir will be completed by late 2019 in the mean time we need people to reduce usage.."

It's just joe public like me is totally unaware of what they are doing.



On this I cannot agree with you more, people tend to treat it like it's an infinite resource that will be there as long as the tap they open to get it.

I don't know enough about the science behind it, but to me it seems that it is a semi-infinite resource, in that whatever is used is returned to the system in same way or form in the future, but it certainly is not necessarily going to be usable. I have seen articles and “documentaries” that believe future wars would be fought over water like they have over other resources which I can easily believe.
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Or you could be an informed citizen and just go to the Umgeni Water website and look at their infrastructure master plan...

And no, water in the way we use it etc is not semi-infinite... it is definitely finite.
 
Councils not saving enough water

Durban - Municipalities are falling short when it comes to saving water, said Steve Gillham, general manager engineering and scientific services at Umgeni Water.

He was speaking at a media visit to the Albert Falls Dam on Tuesday. The dam is critically low, at 23% capacity, according to the Umgeni Water dam level report. Gillham said it also had the biggest capacity in the province with a 290 million cubic litres capacity, servicing about six million people.

Umgeni Water, which services district municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, was expecting these municipalities to save about 15% on water usage but, Gillham said, they were only saving about 5%.

“When we initially introduced restrictions, people started using more water. So when we realised appealing to people’s good was not going to save any water, we then started to curtail it at treatment plants,” he said.

Gillham said they started giving municipalities less water and they had to make do with what they received.

He said some of the dams would have run dry had they not started managing the amount of water distributed to areas that needed it the most.

He said the dams run by the water utility were at 63% storage capacity, which was not ideal. This was, however, 13% higher than at the same time last year, he said.
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More at: https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/councils-not-saving-enough-water-13280551
 
Cray said:
This, I think they are making an effort in the face of a big problem- pipe infrastructure in places like Cowies hill is seriously old.
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God i used to live in Cowies Hill, burst water pipe every other week. The roads are littered with 'water pipe patchwork'.
 
Latest Dam Data finally shows Midmar dam at 100.08%
 
Fox1 said:
Latest Dam Data finally shows Midmar dam at 100.08%
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Going up to the Midlands next week, will be interested to see if there is any water going over the wall.
 
Unhappy438 said:
Make sure to give us an update :p
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Oops sorry, can confirm. Lots of water going over on Saturday morning, and still going over on Sunday afternoon when I came back :). Was pretty windy Saturday morning but Sunday was quite still.

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Cray said:
Oops sorry, can confirm. Lots of water going over on Saturday morning, and still going over on Sunday afternoon when I came back :). Was pretty windy Saturday morning but Sunday was quite still.
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Excellent, thanks for the update and nice picture.
 
Cray said:
Oops sorry, can confirm. Lots of water going over on Saturday morning, and still going over on Sunday afternoon when I came back :). Was pretty windy Saturday morning but Sunday was quite still.

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Good to see. It's said that water will make it's way to Albert Falls.
 
ToxicBunny said:
It does seem to be doing so.. the dam is now at just shy of 30% capacity.
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Apparently Albert Falls has a large surface area and is relatively shallow so they always fill it last due to the increased susceptibility to evaporation.
 
KZN's water woes may be over after over 2 years of restrictions

Restrictions in one of KwaZulu-Natal's biggest water systems are on the brink of being lifted as good rains over the past two weeks replenish the province's dams.

The vital Mgeni system had "significantly improved", said Umgeni Water spokesperson Shami Harichunder on Thursday.

"Total water resources in this system presently amounts to 69%. It has to get to 70% before an application is made to the Department of Water and Sanitation for the 15% mandatory water restrictions in the Mgeni system to be lifted."
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Full article: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...r-after-over-2-years-of-restrictions-20180322
 
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