New water restriction tariffs hit Cape Town: what you need to know

[Zoomzoom]

Interesting article, with no solutions though.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...igation-warnings-and-a-turning-point-20171016

'Too expensive for success'

Kevin Winter, of the environmental and geographical science (EGS) department at the University of Cape Town (UCT), however, does not think the water shortage warnings a decade ago were strong and convincing.

"Sure, there was a tough period in 2004 and 2005, but the City's Water Demand Management programme worked really well, in fact too well, but this programme only works when there is sufficient rainfall," he said.

"The difficulty is about preparing for severe drought. That's not easy to predict and is always going to be too costly to prevent failure."

So the fix is in with the experts to justify extra charges and tariffs next year. Watch, wait, see. I shall not resist the urge to say "I told you so". The DA will use this to swell the coffers, especially if cutting back on consumption results in lower income next year.

 

[spiff]

help me out here guys - I'm sure I read somewhere years ago that places of employment must have a certain amount of water available for employees even if the main supply is cut?

 

[access]

Single source! Google and you will find very little world renowned about his company. Don't believe everything you read...

His company is absolutely unknown and has 0 known financing capability.

If you want a serious company with the financing capability and plants already in operation in SA, try there http://www.veoliawatertechnologies....eparation/reverse-osmosis-RO-water-treatment/

ive started to think you 2 clowns are getting paid to talk *** on this forum.

gtek has "more than 130 installations in 16 different countries" also including south Africa. and on top of that, whats the bet these veolia guys use the tech from gtek.

:crylaugh:

 

[Rouxenator]

Can't wait to see what reasons they fabricate as to why the recent rain was actually worsening the drought.

 

[Gordon_R]

Well, here's another idea: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/art...o-cape-town-help-solve-future-water-problems/

 

[access]

Well, here's another idea: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/art...o-cape-town-help-solve-future-water-problems/

that's along the lines of building a pipeline from upcountry to the cape.

strangely enough, when its for gas or oil its done within an instant, wars are fought for them, but for life/water its pipedream.

 

[konfab]

that's along the lines of building a pipeline from upcountry to the cape.

strangely enough, when its for gas or oil its done within an instant, wars are fought for them, but for life/water its pipedream.

Difference between private sector and government sector.

If the private sector were allowed to make and own such a tunnel, you would see the water supply problem disappear overnight. This is why you can buy a coke in an area with a water shortage where the taps don't work.

Its not as if it hasn't been done in this country before...

Construction started in 1966 and the tunnel opened in 1975. When completed, the tunnel's length of 83 km was the longest continuous enclosed aqueduct in the southern hemisphere and the second-longest water supply tunnel in the world. Over 200 000 m3 of concrete was used to line the tunnel which has a maximum throughput of 54 m3/s (about 2,000 cusecs).[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange%E2%80%93Fish_River_Tunnel

But that would require the presence of a large water source nearby. This doesn't really exist with the Western Cape as it is surrounded by a desert. Which makes desalination the only real option.

 

[Gordon_R]

Balanced and thorough article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/art...-wish-we-could-have-acted-better-das-maimane/

The latest controversy around the water crisis has arisen over the City’s delay in putting out tenders for water augmentation processes, and the reported failure to award tenders the first time around.

The City said this week that the tenders – for small-scale desalination plants – were being re-advertised because the applications received were “non-responsive”.

“[The City is] adjudicating on a number of bidders, and part of the problem now with those bidders is that because people recognise the urgency of the situation, there’s been some alleged colluding around price for the provision of desalination plants and [extracting water from] underground, so we have to monitor that,” Maimaine said.

Terming the crisis unprecedented in South Africa, he gives a practical example to illustrate the complexity of the situation.

“When you want to put a desalination plant in Mouille Point, for example, the Mouille Point Business Forum gets together and says, ‘It will hinder our view’, or whatever the case may be. So they put in an objection. Do you then break the law, and ignore public sentiment, to move on to other issues?”

Maimane also says that acting to address a potential crisis years earlier would have meant an unavoidable rise in water and electricity prices to be borne by citizens.

 

[Rouxenator]

Just pump the rivers you flippen morons.

 

[Zoomzoom]

Balanced and thorough article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/art...-wish-we-could-have-acted-better-das-maimane/

Since when has any politician in this country cared what the public thinks when it is opposed to what they think?

Maimane also says that acting to address a potential crisis years earlier would have meant an unavoidable rise in water and electricity prices to be borne by citizens.

Ohhhhh riiiighhhtttt NOW he cares about the insane increases that the DA has inflicted on people? Excuse me while I just go laugh my head off.

 

[Slootvreter]

Can't wait to see what reasons they fabricate as to why the recent rain was actually worsening the drought.

Aside from people being careless with water because it's raining, how would rain worsen a draught? :erm:

 

[Geoff.D]

Difference between private sector and government sector.

If the private sector were allowed to make and own such a tunnel, you would see the water supply problem disappear overnight. This is why you can buy a coke in an area with a water shortage where the taps don't work.

Its not as if it hasn't been done in this country before...
View attachment 470553


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange%E2%80%93Fish_River_Tunnel

But that would require the presence of a large water source nearby. This doesn't really exist with the Western Cape as it is surrounded by a desert. Which makes desalination the only real option.

You do know that those projects were all undertaken by the old dept of water affairs in the days when public servants were all dedicated professionals and not political appointments.

 

[noxibox]

“When you want to put a desalination plant in Mouille Point, for example, the Mouille Point Business Forum gets together and says, ‘It will hinder our view’, or whatever the case may be. So they put in an objection. Do you then break the law, and ignore public sentiment, to move on to other issues?”

They're already running into problems like this. Local residents refusing to have desalination near them.

Difference between private sector and government sector.

If the private sector were allowed to make and own such a tunnel, you would see the water supply problem disappear overnight. This is why you can buy a coke in an area with a water shortage where the taps don't work.

Which is exactly why the private sector would rather milk the existing supply to maximise profits and keep costs down. Then supply the cheapest lowest quality product they can get away with, again to maximise profits. Governments on the other hand can and do take on major infrastructure projects with no clear profitability.

I doubt that will stand up in court.

It might well not. They could even probably be fought over excessively high bills that result from burst pipes caused by the city's actions. But that would require someone with the resources to take on the city, because they'd have no problem wasting millions in taxpayer money to fight you in court.

when public servants were all dedicated professionals and not political appointments.

I highly doubt that.

 

[Geoff.D]

Well then you don't have a good grasp of our history and how things worked before 1994.
Of course the Ministers were political appointments but the persons up to what today are known as DGs were all persons who rose through the ranks and knew what it takes to plan, design, specify, build and maintain infrastructure. Water Affairs were run by civil engineers whose goal was only the successful completion of projects.

 

[Rouxenator]

Aside from people being careless with water because it's raining, how would rain worsen a draught? :erm:

They'll put a negative spin on anything as long as it justifies them hiking the prices and making a fake crisis to sell newspapers.

 

[Nanfeishen]

Well then you don't have a good grasp of our history and how things worked before 1994.
Of course the Ministers were political appointments but the persons up to what today are known as DGs were all persons who rose through the ranks and knew what it takes to plan, design, specify, build and maintain infrastructure. Water Affairs were run by civil engineers whose goal was only the successful completion of projects.

Yep . not to mention the apprenticeship programs that existed in so many departments including Water Affairs which ensured skilled hands on training from the get go.

 

[Geoff.D]

Yep . not to mention the apprenticeship programs that existed in so many departments including Water Affairs which ensured skilled hands on training from the get go.

Absolutely.

Thanks for the input.

 

[schumi]

Delivery company’s truck is spotted filling Cape home’s pool

Cape Town - In the midst of a water crisis in the Western Cape, a water company is making money filling pools all over the province with clean, drinking water.

While most Capetonians are struggling to stay within the 87 litres of water a day limit, the company, Bulk Water, delivers water and refills your pool, charging thousands of rands.

On Thursday morning a truck was seen filling up a pool at a house in Southfield.

The driver of the truck even handed out the business’s pamphlet to a neighbour.

The woman told Daily Voice: “We have to save water, and think about the future, but here are people filling up pools. How inconsiderate!”

Dam levels in the province currently stand at 37.4%, of which only 27.4% is usable.

Under level 5 water restrictions, residents are not allowed to fill or top up their pools with municipal drinking water.

Facilities or municipal customers making use of borehole water “are encouraged not to water/irrigate within seven days after rainfall that provided adequate saturation”.

The Daily Voice called one of the numbers on the pamphlet and was promptly given a quotation by a manager named Shay.

Filling a 30 000 litre pool in Grassy Park would cost R7000; the total includes the transportation charge. This quotation was valid for a week, said Shay.

“We have a 24 000 litre trailer with three compartments which hold 8000 litres. We deliver to any area in the Western Cape. We only work with cash payments. A recent fill-up we did was in Brackenfell and it was a 24 000 litre pool, the customer paid R6000,” Shay explained.

Asked about the origin of the water, he responded: “The water is clean and suitable to drink. We get our water from a borehole and it is from private property.”

More at : https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-af...k-is-spotted-filling-cape-homes-pool-11639433

 

[Mortymoose]

Yesterday I took a walk down to The Angling Club at Harbour Island in Gordon's Bay and was amused to find a water truck reversed down the boat slipway pumping sea water into it's tanks, the truck was also one of those hire out trucks, " Why on earth would you be pumping salty sea water into a metal truck at a slipway hidden away between buildings in the wee hours of the morn? Where would you be using salty sea water on land? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, I say!

 

[xrapidx]

Delivery company’s truck is spotted filling Cape home’s pool



More at : https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-af...k-is-spotted-filling-cape-homes-pool-11639433

So it's not actually drinking water.