Water trucks to top up Sedgefield reservoirs

[kilos]

Sedgefield has to get water from George due to the Karatara River that has dried up,
Sedgefield do not have any long term storage facilities ie Dams. :shock:

Knysna had 30 days left and golf courses consume 1+million litres per day
http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n04_21012009.htm

THE Knysna municipality will begin trucking in water today to stop the taps from running dry as Sedgefield‘s water supplies are at a critical level.

Knysna town manager Johnny Douglas yesterday said the situation was “very critical”.

“We urgently request the public to reduce their water usage”.

He said to begin with two tankers would transport water from George to add to reservoirs in Sedgefield.

The two tankers, one from Eden district municipality with a 10000 litre capacity and the other from Knysna municipality with 5000 litres, could transfer about 75000 litres of water to Sedgefield a day, Douglas said.

“We also plan to lease additional vehicles from private companies,” he added.

Douglas said the hot weather had contributed to the situation as evaporation rates increased.

A public meeting will be held in the Sedgefield Town Hall at 7pm tomorrow to discuss the crisis.

“If there is no substantial rainfall, we will definitely start with rationing on Friday.

“We have to pull through this with the help of the community. There is no way we can do it alone.”

Douglas said on Monday that Knysna had only 30 days left in water reserves.

The use of hosepipes for any purpose has been banned. Buckets and watering cans may be used from 6pm to 7pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on properties with even street numbers.

Uneven numbers have been allocated Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at the same time.

Jules Hartlief, area manager of Sedgefield engineering services for the Knysna municipality, said poor rainfall was behind the acute water shortage.

Only 10mm of rain fell in December – the lowest in 10 years – and so far this month a meagre 3mm has been recorded at a rate of less than eight per cent of rainfall over the same period last year.

In December 2007, 92mm of rainfall was recorded, followed by 63mm in January 2008.
Previous

 

[Tassidar]

Start by closing down every single one of those water-wasting, environmentally unfriendly golf-courses.

 

[Moederloos]

Start by fixing broken council water pipes.

 

[BCO]

Start by closing down every single one of those water-wasting, environmentally unfriendly golf-courses.

Stupid golf courses.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yeah, for me this would be an easy place to start... shut down golf courses. The estates on the golf courses can keep getting water, but the courses themselves get nothing...

 

[Harv182]

Now what about a desal plant?

 

[Gaz{M}]

Or rather make the golf courses get their own water. They can't let R10's of millions of grass die!

What about boreholes?

 

[ToxicBunny]

boreholes bring up the issue of dropping the water table.

Since water is scarce in the area... the first lot to lose it are things like Golf Courses if you ask me...

 

[BTTB]

My folks are retired to Sedgefield and let me say that the quality of that Karatara River Water that is pumped to Sedgefield is not very nice as it quite brakkish.

My father has a well point which pumps beautiful water, far better than what is supplied by the Municipality. My advice to the people of Sedgefield is to use what they have underground. My father uses his well point to water his garden and can at any stage connect his pump to the house in emergency.

The Water problem at Sedgefield is not new. The Residents Association have been campaigning for ages about the problem. Actually further Building Development has been curtailed as a result until the water problem is addressed.
The funny part is that after all the years of campaigning for the new Water Plant it was eventually approved from what I hear and in the pipeline until the politicians canned it for something else. I am not entirely sure what the reason was, but whatever the reason it is clear to me that this project should if it was not, been given priority status, as how can a Town run without water.
The Municipality had the opportunity to build the new Water Plant, but like everything in this country, all plans and good intentions are usually skewed by political interference.

 

[kilos]

Now what about a desal plant?

Knysna & Sedgefield are looking at Desalination plants, but whew they are $$$
and use plenty of electricity

 

[Alan]

What a shame. Sedgefield is a great place. Been raining for 4 days in a row here. In fact it's rained about 15 days this month IIRC. More than willing to send this **** weather in their direction

 

[Hosehead]

They should tax the shi*t out of Golf estates

 

[gboy]

i live most in knysna, and as i type this, i can see the tap water in my glass settling sand at the bottom.

AFAIK Knysna has water restrictions because the treatment works cannot cope.

 

[BTTB]

MEC Lynne Brown

MEC Lynne Brown - Western Province's finance and tourism MEC

Ok. I got the story this evening on the phone from the folks down at Sedgefield.
Basically everyone and the kitchen sink supported the new Water Plant at Sedgefield.
Environmental Impact Assessments, scoping, support from all Departments in Government etc.
All except Finance MEC Lynne Brown who from what I am told claimed that the rich whities of Sedgefield don't need or can pay for their own Water Plant.

Well, if the above is true, is it not ironic that the area now has a drought and water supplies are critical and no further Development can take place. What about the cost of trucking water.
Furthermore from what I can understand the whole project had been fully laid out and scoped, which in itself can cost millions and the Contractor's price, if he is still around, will just cost more when the Council eventually do give the go ahead to build the Water Plant.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Wtf... Like every other damn politician in this country..

WHAT does a Teacher now about Finance and Tourism?

 

[zagame]

Wtf... Like every other damn politician in this country..

WHAT does a Teacher now about Finance and Tourism?

You forget :

Ms Brown's interests are playing golf, reading and an admiration of arts and culture.

Surely that qualifies her?

 

[BTTB]

Water crisis looms in Knysna

Water crisis looms in Knysna

Several councilors and officials will be investigated for their alleged negligent role and inability to prevent the water crisis

Easy to blame the politicians now, but will this help?
The damage is done and only rain will rescue the situation in the short term. To think what those tankers must be costing the Ratepayers. Money, at least a portion of which that could have been used to build the new Water Plant that was squashed by MEC Brown.

The trouble with politics is that officials should be held personally accountable for their actions or inactions.

 

[Gnome]

My father uses his well point to water his garden and can at any stage connect his pump to the house in emergency.

Best be careful with that approach, my dad signs off on reports on bore holes and slaughterhouses and in his younger days did the inspections himself, basically he told me to never drink from a bore hole even if it looked and smelled fine (unless I'm about to from thirst). Most of them have dangerous levels of bacteria and/or mineral imbalances, it can be incredibly dangerous to drink from them.

This applies to Gauteng, it could be different up there still thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[Londo]

MEC Lynne Brown - Western Province's finance and tourism MEC

Ok. I got the story this evening on the phone from the folks down at Sedgefield.
Basically everyone and the kitchen sink supported the new Water Plant at Sedgefield.
Environmental Impact Assessments, scoping, support from all Departments in Government etc.
All except Finance MEC Lynne Brown who from what I am told claimed that the rich whities of Sedgefield don't need or can pay for their own Water Plant.

Well, if the above is true, is it not ironic that the area now has a drought and water supplies are critical and no further Development can take place. What about the cost of trucking water.
Furthermore from what I can understand the whole project had been fully laid out and scoped, which in itself can cost millions and the Contractor's price, if he is still around, will just cost more when the Council eventually do give the go ahead to build the Water Plant.

No, I am pretty certain this story is wrong. I remember reading that the money is available but it has taken so long to come through that the Knysna Municipality's share of the costs has risen greatly, and they. the KM, decided to put it on hold.

What I really don't understand is that new development (such as a block of flats) is still going ahead there. Well, no earth turned, but advertised for sale "off plan".

Plus some new small sub divisions in over the last few years. Given the water situation in the area, surely they should plan for the worst case. Well not really the worst case, but for one summer of no rain!

I mean here we have one dry summer and there is no water!

 

[kilos]

A forumite from another forum asked the question do the Golfing Estates take water from the Municipal supply ? I think not, but they do lower the water table meaning less or no water to pump out the boreholes. George, Knysna & Mossel Bay, Plett are surrounded by golfing estates, maybe gboy knows more about how Simola, Pezula get their water. Do Pezula not pump from the Knoetzie River ?