Western Cape Business 2020 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
Water Resources Group. The
Water Resources Group, an
international consortium of
private companies, agencies
and development banks, has
established a South African
chapter, the Strategic Water
Partners Network.
The Berg River-Voëlvlei
Augmentation Scheme, finally
approved at national level in
November 2019, will pump
water out of the Berg River in
winter, having first allowed for
enough water to cover the
ecological water requirements of
the river and the estuary.
A Water Stewardship
programme has been
introduced in the Breede River
catchment area. WWF-South
Africa, Woolworths and Marks &
Spencer are collaborating on a
scheme encouraging stone fruit
farmers to put in place systems
that reduce risk to water supply
and quality.
WWF-SA’s also has a Water
Balance Programme which
works to increase the amount
of clean water coming into
the environment. Woolworths’
contribution to this plan involves
getting rid of alien vegetation
on the farm where it sources its
wines (Paul Cluver Wines) and in
the Leeu River catchment area.
The introduction by the
National Department of
Water and Sanitation (DWS)
and the Water Institute of
South Africa (WISA) of the Blue
and Green Drop Awards has
been successful. The nation’s
municipalities receive scores
reflecting how well they are
doing in terms of providing
clean water.
In order to win a Drop Award (Blue for water quality, Green for
waste treatment), water systems have to score 95% or higher. The
DWS has allocated R4.3-billion to helping municipalities deliver
water. The Interim Water Supply Programme concentrates on 23
district municipalities.
Although the Western Cape’s municipalities are among the
country’s best in terms of providing and maintaining infrastructure,
Overstrand Local Municipality has outsourced the management of its
water and wastewater infrastructure. In 2019 the municipality, which
is headquarted in the coastal town of Hermanus, signed a 15-year
contract with Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa to
look after its six wastewater treatment plants and nine water facilities.
Other infrastructure includes 44 reservoirs, 123km of pipelines and 55
water and wastewater pump stations.
Climate adaptation
The Western Cape Provincial Government has introduced a Smart Agri
plan to coordinate efforts to tackle the effects of climate change on
agriculture. Developed by two provincial departments (Agriculture and
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning), the African Climate
and Development Initiative of the University of Cape Town and several
private sector participants, SmartAgri has six priorities:
• Conservation agriculture: minimal soil disturbance, crop diversity
and permanent soil cover. Wheat yields have increased because of
the programme.
• Restoring degraded landscapes.
• Improved catchment area management, including removing
alien plants.
• Energy efficiency.
• Giving priority to climate-resistant crops and livestock.
• Sharing knowledge.
The wall of the Clanwilliam Dam is to be raised, doubling the
capacity of the dam and bringing an additional 5 000ha of land under
irrigation. After a lengthy delay, the project is now expected to be
completed in 2023. The 13-metre addition will cost R2.5-billion and
could support high-value crops for export such as citrus and table
grapes. The land could also form part of the land reform programme.
The Western Cape Provincial Government has given the national
government notice with respect to another wall-raising project that
has stalled. If the feeder canal of the Brandvlei Dam were to be raised
by just 30cm, it would significantly increase the dam’s storage capacity
and improve the prospects of farmers in the area.
When the long-term drought was at its worst, tourists to Cape
Town were encouraged to “Save like a Local”. Together with a range of
technical and legislative measures, the campaign to get Capetonians
and their guests to use less water worked remarkably well.
Where the residents and businesses of the city were using
35 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020