Small Bay firms fear Day Zero scenario
More than 90% want desalination as part of future water security strategy
MORE than half of businesses in Nelson Mandela Bay fear the consequences for their bottom line if the ongoing drought does not end soon.
While larger corporations are more upbeat, smaller firms and operations are worried about closing their doors and job losses if the situation deteriorates further.
A survey commissioned by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber showed that 63% of businesses in the metro were very worried that a lack of water security could affect their operations and even the sustainability of their businesses.
The survey – conducted earlier this month – involved 136 member companies.
Forty-two percent of the respondents also said they would refrain from investing in and expanding their business because of poor water security.
More than 90% of the businesses surveyed want planning authorities to consider desalination plants in the Bay as part of future strategies, while 54% believe a Day Zero scenario – taps running dry – could happen in the next year.
Should that occur, 42% indicated that their businesses would be closed and staff sent home.
Ray’s Carwash owner Ray Fincham said: “We are very concerned about the possibility of closing down shop should the drought continue, because I employ about 16 people [and] I have their livelihood to consider.”
He said they had installed water tanks on the property to recycle their water.
“Every night, we put pipes through the stormwater drains from the Oasis water shop and we get all their grey water coming into our shop.
“We have [also] installed about eight water tanks to help us catch the rain.”
The owner of Lavender Laundromat in Linton Grange, Hilde Oosthuizen, said: “If Day Zero does happen, that will mean the end of my business – which is very concerning because this is my bread and butter.
“We are a water-reliant business and there is no way we can reuse water to wash another load.
“But when someone brings in less than 10 items of clothing, we wash it by hand.
“We have been affected by this drought and the surprising thing is that we’ve had an influx of customers bringing their laundry to us so as not to add additional costs to their water bills at home.”
Oosthuizen said the municipality should focus on fixing leaks.
Aqua Marine Guesthouse owner Gordon Gibbs said it had proved difficult to regulate guests’ water usage but they had put plans in place.
“We’ve done a number of things like remove the plugs from the bathtubs, installed watersaving shower-heads and installed a 5 000-litre tank for the swimming pool.”
Gibbs believed Day Zero was far off for the metro – if it reached that point at all.
“As far as us closing down our business because of the drought, I don’t believe it will come to that,” he said.
“I am pretty confident we will get over the hump and recover from this drought.”
Sherwood Garden Centre manager Nicky Palmer said the nursery was managing by using water from boreholes and a dam on the property.
“We are OK at the moment but we are running low,” she said.
“We manage as it is usually quieter at this time of year, but I don’t want to think about [water running out].”
However, Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) spokesman Matt Gennrich said with careful management and prioritisation, its operations were not at risk.
Gennrich said VWSA had already reduced its water consumption by 54.1% since 2010 through various initiatives under its Think Blue campaign.
“This includes doing a lot of small things but also [changing] bigger things like how water is circulated in the paint shop and using recycled water where possible,” he said.
“We are very happy with our reduction and don’t see a threat to our production facility or future investments.” According to
If Day Zero does happen, that will mean the end of my business
the survey, 79% of the respondents did not believe government planning authorities were adequately preparing to ensure ample water resources, while 86% doubted that effective contingency measures were in place to deal with a Day Zero scenario.
However, 59% of businesses said they would carry on without major disruptions if this scenario were to become a reality.
Business chamber chief executive Nomkhita Mona emphasised the need for frank discussions between the private and public sector, academia, environmentalists, planning and development officials and the broader society to map a way forward.
“This [plan] should look at the short-, medium- and long-term needs of industry, population growth trends, models of direct investment and other integrated development plans,” she said. “We can also develop an entirely new industry through desalination plants in the city.”
Mona said the chamber would host a Bay H²0 Security think-tank and planning session in April to jump-start water security planning.
“We plan to drive this agenda to ensure we see results and an acceptable level of water security,” she said.
The chamber would also unveil its strategic five-year plan later this month.
Plans for a desalination plant to be operational by November are already afoot – the result of a partnership between Marina Salt and South African Breweries (SAB).
The plan includes Marina Salt desalinating seawater to take the salt it requires, while SAB will purify the water further to create good quality beer.
SAB will then keep the two million litres of water it requires daily and sell the rest to the municipality.