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The City of Cape Town, realising that we have an impending water shortage crisis on our hands, have released its proposed future plans to rectify the situation.
Due to the droughts caused by climate change, the City has proposed to build desalination plants in Cape Town’s Granger Bay, Hout Bay and Dido Bay, all in the effort to make extra potable water for its residents and visitors, reports News24.
The proposal was announced early Thursday, with Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille stating the plan is to “produce an extra 500Ml of water through a mix of desalination plants, ground water extraction, and water reuse”.
Why now? Well, guys, in case you have been using your water a little too liberally:
Already at Level 4b water restrictions that have reduced water usage from 1000Ml a day to 610Ml a day over the past year, even more needs to be done to make sure that taps don’t run dry, said De Lille.
Further restrictions to Level 5 might have to be introduced in the future, but in the meantime, it has also issued its first tender for new desalination plants.
Yup, it’s going to get tough out there – and we’re not the only ones.
De Lille also announced a slew of other tenders to follow in the next few weeks, reports Times LIVE, seeking quotes for:
– Groundwater extraction in Atlantis‚ Silverstroom‚ the Cape Flats‚ Cape Peninsula and Hottentots Holland;
– Land-based desalination plants in Koeberg‚ Silverstroom‚ Woodbridge Island‚ Granger Bay‚ Hout Bay‚ Red Hill‚ Strandfontein‚ Monwabisi and Harmony Park; and
– A desalination barge in Cape Town harbour.
Together‚ these facilities would provide 200 million litres of water a day‚ or 40% of the target the council has challenged consumers to meet.
This is what we know about each proposed site:
The proposed Granger Bay sea water extraction site is intended to be located in the Oceana Yacht Club’s harbour near the Green Point stadium, and should help produce 8Ml of potable water [we assume per day] over the next two years.
It will be linked to intake pumps, a generator and a pipeline that will run along Beach Road past the golf course to the desalination plant. The proposed desalination plant, pump station and generators will be located within the public parking area in Beach Road west of the V&A Waterfront.
The proposed extraction plant for picturesque Hout Bay will be situated near the crayfish factory in the harbour. That desalination plant will produce 4Ml [we assume per day] and it is proposed that it will be located within the harbour complex on the open gravel parking area south of the main entrance.
A third proposed sea water extraction point will be from a beach in Dido Valley, False Bay, between Gleincairn and Simonstown.
That pump station is intended to be installed on an off-shore float ±250m from the coast line, behind the wave line.
The proposed 2 Ml per day containerized [sic] desalination plant, pump station and generators will be located within the naval grounds off Main Road, 2km north of Simon’s Town.
Finally. Welcome to the future, City of Cape Town.
If you are interested and would like further information and clarity on the proposals, there’s a meeting TODAY at 10AM at the Milnerton Library in Pienaar Road.
Apparently, the City will be taking prospective contractors on site tours next week.
In the mean time, just use less water, OK?
