Clarification on City’s city water situation

IN RESPONSE to the letter, “Water cost too high”, Cape Argus, November 9.

The City does not budget for a profit/surplus from the sale of water and sanitation, and seeks to keep costs of service delivery as low as possible.

The current dam levels are cause for celebration. As a result, the City lifted drought-level water restrictions and reduced the tariff level as of November 1.

However, it would be a mistake to “put our water situation to rest” as suggested by Mr Wydeman.

Climate change modelling undertaken by the City indicates that less rain will fall, and that droughts will be more common, last longer and be more severe.

We know that dams provide only two years of security. We know that if it were not for our ongoing water saving efforts over the past year, dams would be sitting at about 85%, as opposed to 98%.

We know that sole reliance on surface water, through rainfall, would place us in a very precarious position in which we would remain exposed to another drought shock.

The City’s New Water Programme will see an additional 300 MLD of water brought online, through a combination of groundwater abstraction, desalination and water reuse.

The Table Mountain Group Aquifer project is already generating 15 MLD, and volumes will increase over the next 10 years.

Current water tariffs, which are on average 4c per litre, go towards providing the water service as well as investing in our plans to build and safeguard our future water security.

We are determined to build resilience and ensure that we do not find ourselves in a position where such severe water restrictions are needed again.

XANTHEA LIMBERG | Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste

Less rain will fall, droughts will be more common, last longer and be more severe