New water resource to benefit Beaufort West community

MINERAL Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said his department would be handing over the newly discovered fresh-water resource in Beaufort West to its municipality next week.

Last year, the Council for Geoscience (CGS) – a statutory science council under the Department of Mineral Resources – made an unprecedented discovery of the resource in Beaufort West while conducting research to develop shale gas.

While Cape Town is facing its worst drought in history and has implemented level 6b water restrictions of 50 litres or less per person per day, Beaufort West has also been crippled by a water shortage.

“With the severe drought experienced in the Western Cape, it was most welcome that through our entity CGS, we discovered clean drinking groundwater in Beaufort West,” Zwane told delegates at the opening of the 2018 Mining Indaba.

“Our mapping of geosciences in the country is yielding results, with science responding to societal issues.

“We will be handing this resource over to the local municipality next week, so that the community can have access to it.”

He said the R20 billion intensive 10-year mapping programme headed by CGS was proceeding well.

The discovery of the water resource was also driving the momentum of interest in the geology and exploration investment in South Africa, Zwane added. – African News Agency (ANA)