Red light flashing on borehole use

TENSIONS in Nelson purely by virtue of having the Mandela Bay are not yet money to install a borehole, at the “water wars” or the good fortune to live in level seen in Cape Town, but a property containing one? today’s report on boreholes Today’s report notes most could mean that scenario is boreholes being drilled are in closer than we thought. the affluent suburbs of Mill

More than one expert has Park, Walmer and Summerstrand warned that boreholes are – and Summerstrand, not the solution many had which lies right next to the hoped they could be. sea, in particular, should give

In particular, they caution us pause for reflection. that although they may provide One expert notes “over-abstraction short-term relief, it is from the boreholes unclear what the effects will . . . will see saline leaking into be over five or 10 years. the aquifer”, which reworded

Amazingly, however, our into plain English means that municipality says there is no if you take too much water limit to the number of boreholes out, what is left will be too that may be drilled in salty to drink. the city. With more boreholes being

What is more, of the 466 drilled, there will undoubtedly registered private boreholes be more pressure on the in the city, none are monitored underground water supply. by the municipality. The municipality itself

We find it incredible that aims to drill an additional 16 there is no one to supervise this year, with schools being the use – or abuse – of such a among the recipients. precious and increasingly That sounds most praiseworthy, scarce resource and, as the but only if accompanied water level drops, we fear by reliable information tensions may rise. on the effect of these boreholes

We also must ask: should on the water table. households with a borehole We simply do not know be allowed to suck out as enough to make a call – but much water from the underground the red light is flashing and we supply as they like, would be foolish to ignore it.