The Cycle Tour's 3 million litres of water

WITH the Cape Town Cycle Tour just days away, the event has once again committed itself not to draw any water from the municipal supply on the day. With more than 30 000 participants expected on Sunday, the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust has been working closely with the City of Cape Town around the mechanics of how this water will be introduced back into the municipal reticulation system.

“We are extremely grateful to Swellendam Municipality, its municipal manager Anton Groenewald and mayor Nico Myburgh for their generous offer of 2.2 million litres of potable water. Our hydration partners, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB), have committed to providing the transport from Swellendam to Cape Town.

“This is a mammoth undertaking that is expected to take upwards of two weeks, and which could not be achieved without their specialist assistance,” said David Bellairs, the trust’s director. The trust has committed to offsetting the event’s water footprint by introducing in excess of 3 million litres of water to Cape Town from areas not experiencing drought.

“Swellendam Municipality, independently rated as the number one municipality in South Africa, has been the proud host of the prestigious Coronation Double Century for the past 10 years.

“Through this event, the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust and its partners provide an annual economic injection of more than R15 million to the town of Swellendam and surrounds.

“So when the call came out recently that the cycle tour would offset the water consumption of 15 000 visitors by sourcing water from a non-drought-stricken area, we immediately responded,” said Swellendam executive mayor Nicholas Myburgh.

In addition to the provision of more than 3 million litres of water, eliminating the event’s reliance on municipal drinking water would be achieved through a variety of strategies.

“As part of its mitigation plan to deal with the water crisis, CCPB invested in three 33 000 litre food-grade water tankers to transport water from sources outside the water-stressed areas.

“Following an announcement by the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust last month, we were very pleased to offer the use of the tankers to deliver the water required by the trust,” said Priscilla Urquhart, CCPB’s public affairs and communication manager.