The South African National Parks (SANParks) is assisting the provincial Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) with groundwater operations to secure water supply for Groote Schuur Hospital.
Tygerberg Hospital, Red Cross Children’s Hospital, and Groote Schuur Hospital are the most critical health facilities in the Province’s Water Business Continuity Plan (BCP).
Boreholes drilled at Groote Schuur have only yielded 7 litres/second (l/s). To adequately water secure this critical facility an additional water yield of approximately 2.8l/s is required.
DTPW’s next step was to cooperate with SANParks and instructed the appointed geohydrologist to identify possible drilling sites in the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) area adjacent to Hospital Bend.
DTPW further appointed an environmental control officer to oversee the drilling operations in the park. After ensuring compliance with the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, SANParks gave its approval for drilling to begin.
Three promising sites were identified, and the national Department of Water and Sanitation has been informed about the project.
As much as possible, water extracted during the pump testing phase will be stored for SANParks fire-fighting purposes.
“Of 68 initially identified critical WCG service delivery sites in the province’s Water BCP, sufficient groundwater resources have so far been secured at 37 of these prioritised sites. So far 86 boreholes have been drilled; 64 of which have been pump-tested,” said BCP project leader Adv. Gavin Kode of DTPW.
“Complete engineering designs for treating groundwater to potable standards and reticulating it are being implemented at these sites. Where it is not economically viable to treat groundwater to potable standards, such water will be reticulated only for hygiene and fire safety purposes,” he added.
The Water BCP makes it clear that a water-scarce future should be considered to be the “new normal”. Reducing water consumption remains an absolute priority for all of us, which will extend well beyond the current drought.
Regular water consumption audits will continue in WCG-owned buildings to manage and reduce operational demand for water and to produce and implement water management plans where necessary.
Together, we can still avoid Day Zero if every person uses less than 50 litres per person, per day.
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