Rain won’t help dam levels much

CAPE TOWN will see another burst of rainfall today, but not enough to make a significant impact on dam levels.

Weather SA’s forecast team expects 5-15mm of rainfall over most areas and 20-30mm in mountainous areas.

Winds of 30-50km/h were expected while gale force winds between 65-75km/h were expected over the marine area between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas.

Weather SA senior forecaster Kate Turner said: “The cold front will be moving over the Cape this afternoon and further inland overnight into tomorrow morning, while clearing in the early morning.” Another cold front was expected Wednesday night into Thursday. “Also not severe,” Turner added.

Mayoral committee member for water and energy Xanthea Limberg said the City was still in a water crisis.

“Rainfall experienced earlier this month has only helped dams increase by 1.6%, currently sitting at 21.1%.”

Level four water restrictions remained.

“It will take 2-3 years of average to above average rainfall to help us recover from the current drought.”

Limberg said the City was making good progress with its water projects.

“We will bore a hole into the Table Mountain group aquifers soon and we expect to yield results by the end of July.”

Other projects included placing well points in the Cape Flats group aquifers, two desalination plants and a water reuse plant at their existing Zandvliet wastewater plant.

“These projects were expected to yield results by late 2017 to early 2018.”

Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said all train services would be fully operational.

“Our technical teams are placed on high alert during weather warnings to respond immediately.”

Mayor Patricia de Lille made a Request for Ideas/ Information (RFI) to industry for proposed solutions that will enable the City to temporarily establish several small, intermediate and possibly even large plants to supply potable water.

The City seeks to form partnerships with for-profit and non-profit entities that could supply, install and operate temporary plants at various locations along the sea shore and at certain inland locations, for the injection of potable water.

It is envisaged that the first plants would be available for production towards the end of August 2017.