GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality completed the installation of a temporary package plant with a very short turnaround time to help it cope with the high increase in daily water demand during the peak season.
The package plant added an extra 5Ml per day of treated drinking water to the daily production, but according to George Mayor Leon van Wyk there was still a high risk of not being able to meet the full daily demand for drinking water.
"This is why water restrictions will remain in place to curb the excessive and unnecessary use of drinking water. The package plant is also intended to supplement the available treated drinking water in 2023 while rehabilitation work is done at the old and new water treatment works (WTW).
"Availability of supply will remain constrained until the new 20Ml WTW capacity extension has been completed in 2025," says Van Wyk.
The new package plant will produce 5Ml of drinking water per day.
Why are strict water restrictions necessary?
Communications chief Chantèl Edwards says the problem, which affects the whole Garden Route, is twofold.
The first is that our raw water sources such as the Garden Route Dam are being affected by low rainfall.
The dam's volume dropped to 45,8% in the second week of December last year and the rain that has fallen since then was not enough to resolve the water scarcity entirely. She says the municipality is in the process of reviewing the Bulk Raw Water Resources Study that considers all potential resources.
"The public cannot assume that because we have been blessed with a short spell of decent rain, they can continue to use drinking water indiscriminately. We have no guarantee of what the rainfall patterns will bring over the next few months and we need to conserve what we have received," says Edwards.
The second problem lies with the production of treated drinking water - the old water treatment works (circa 1950) is not producing drinking water at its original design capacity, and the Denneoord WTW can currently produce 20Ml per day, provided this is not affected by the extended Eskom load-shedding.
"Remedial works are planned at both the old WTW and the Denneoord WTW to optimise the capacity of these two existing plants. However, if residents, holidaymakers, business and industry do not reduce their daily use of drinking water there is a possibility of us running into difficulties as the demand may exceed the capacity to supply sufficient drinking water."
The construction of an additional 20Ml/day WTW is underway but completion is only expected in 2025.
Contraventions of the water restrictions can be reported on 0800 424477. Fines and/or six months imprisonment will apply.
Please report water leaks and burst pipes on 044 801 9262/66 or after hours on 044 801 6300, as soon as you notice them.
Part of the new package plant.
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