Cape Town reassesses future water mix after dodging Day Zero bullet

13th July 2018

By: Natasha Odendaal

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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The City of Cape Town’s dreaded Day Zero has been pushed out to 2020 – as long as the current water restrictions are maintained – owing to higher dam water levels, intense water demand management programmes, communication and awareness, and behavioural changes.

Day Zero, when the taps in Cape Town would be fully throttled and emergency measures implemented, has been avoided several times since the concept was introduced last year at the peak of the severe water shortages and the unprecedented years-long drought.

“The levels of the dams supplying water to Cape Town have been rising consistently and significantly over the past six weeks. Total dam storage capacity is at just over 43%, and we still have more than two months of expected winter rainfall ahead of us,” City of Cape Town executive deputy mayor Ian Neilson says.

By the end of summer last year, the dam levels had “bottomed out” at 20%, just 7% above the level at which water restrictions of 25 ℓ a person per day would have been implemented.

The dam levels by the end of winter last year reached 38%, with consumption well above 600-million litres a day amid the lowest recorded rainfall in history.

“After some six weeks of good rain, we are now in a more favourable position that enables us to recalibrate our future projections and to make a much more accurate forecast for 2019,” he explains.

“We are already in a much stronger position than we were at the end of winter last year,” he assures, adding that this was significantly bolstered by the reduced consumption levels of urban and agricultural consumers, and significant early winter rainfall.

Along with extensive and dedicated communication, awareness and a behavioural change campaign to encourage a behavioural shift among residents, the City of Cape Town deployed pressure management across the city, which is currently achieving savings of more than 62-million litres of water a day, and implemented steep water tariff hikes.

Further, water demand management devices were installed for those who contravened water restrictions and a leak repair programme was embarked on to minimise water losses.

“Now that we have navigated our way through the immediate drought crisis, it is necessary that we review our water supply strategy and augmentation plans to ensure that what was devised in a period of crisis is appropriate for longer-term sustainability and resilience,” Neilson says.

The city is reassessing its New Water Programme, including the future water mix and the role of permanent desalination in the supply mix.

“In this recalibration, we are working closely with a number of local and international partners, like the World Bank, the Stockholm International Water Institute, and the 100 Resilient Cities, pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation, to ensure that our revised programme provides the best possible response to our reality.”

Consideration will be given to the city’s long-term capital programme, particularly regarding permanent desalination, groundwater and water reuse and their impact on the budget and water tariffs.

“In partnership with the custodian of water resources, the National Department of Water and Sanitation, we also need to address critical issues such as resource allocation and interbasin transfers to ensure the sustainability of our water resources. “Many operational challenges and deficiencies came to light during this drought,” he concludes.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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