Dam still filled to the brim

GEORGE NEWS - Thanks to the excellent rainfall over the festive season, the Garden Route Dam in George continues to overflow.

Before the dam reached capacity on 23 December, water from the Kaaimans River was pumped into the dam at a rate of 300 litres per hour. This pumping system has since been switched off, but excess water is still pouring over the spillway as 200mm of rain was recorded in George during December alone.

George municipal director of civil engineering services, Harold Basson says the catchment area is completely saturated. "Most of the runoff ends up in the dam, so, as long as it keeps on raining, the dam will continue to overflow."

The good rains rapidly raised the level of the dam and in mid-December two chaps seriously misjudged its depth.
The driver of a 4x4 bakkie tried to take his usual shortcut to his favourite fishing spot, but got stuck in door-high water about 20 metres from the side. Conceding the fight, the driver and his passenger patiently sat on the roof as emergency vehicles were called in to reel in their unusual catch of the day.

The last time the dam overflowed was in November 2008 and during the festive days thousands of people flocked there to witness the spectacle first hand.
Basson has confirmed that it is highly likely that water restrictions will be lifted by the end of the month. "As George has been declared a drought disaster area we need to consult with the department of water affairs, but this should be a mere formality. The drought in George has been broken and the water supply is back to normal."
Normal tariffs are also back in place after the emergency tariffs were lifted on 27 December.

The roads in the city have taken a beating and many potholes have appeared because of the rain, but the municipality is working hard to repair the damage. "More than seven teams are working non-stop to fix the holes. Apart from the pothole problem very few complaints and crises were reported during the season."

The entire Garden Route has received good rains and more rain is predicted for the district and the Little Karoo over the next few months.

The Wolwedans Dam in Mossel Bay is nearly two thirds full after dropping to under 15% during 2010.
Meanwhile, bottled water is still flooding into the drought stricken town of Beaufort West. Many companies and individuals have opened their hearts and pockets to sponsor and transport drinking water to the town.
Almost 35mm was measured here on New Year’s Day, but no rain fell in the catchment area of the Gamka Dam which partly supplies the town.

The head of disaster management at the Central Karoo district municipality, Hein Rust says the pelting rain will have a positive impact on the boreholes. "The runoff water will definitely supplement ground water and as 75% of our daily water needs is supplied by about 30 boreholes, this is very good news."

Rust says even under normal circumstances the town gets only 25% of its water from the now empty Gamka Dam.
A new R24-million sewage purification plant is due to start operating next week and will provide up to 1Ml of water per day. The town’s 38 000 people have cut their daily consumption from almost 9Ml per day to between 3,5 and 3,8Ml.