GEORGE NEWS - In a carefully worded presentation, Adrian van Molendorff, a member of the SA Institution of Civil Engineering Southern Cape Water Status, said the Southern Cape is faced with some complex water issues.
"We can't keep going from one crisis to another. Water should not be a constraint to development."
The institute's Southern Cape branch has 165 members including engineers, technologists and technicians who aim to provide the community with environmentally and economically sustainable infrastructure. Highlighting the institute's concerns in a PowerPoint report co-authored by Jan Brink, he said, "Technical staff at municipalities are qualified and committed, but require more support from their councils."
Speaking at the Garden Route Investment Conference at Oubaai Resort on Thursday 8 March, Van Molendorff said, "Technical teams are as a rule understaffed and procurement processes are slow, often without technical support.
"There is under-spending on infrastructure. This includes planning, capital projects, management and maintenance, which can take years to become visible, but once apparent, constrain growth severely and take a lot more time and cost to repair. Engineers need to be heard and listened to."
Kannaland / Oudtshoorn
With regard to upgrading the infrastructure for Kannaland and Oudtshoorn, Van Molendorf said both are in the process of potentially developing new dams and heavily invested in groundwater exploration, with mixed results.
"Water has, amongst others, high iron and manganese concentrations in places, which at present is difficult and costly to effectively remove."
Knysna / Bitou
He said Knysna and Bitou are similarly in the process of potentially developing new dams and final site selection still needs to be done. As in Kannaland / Oudtshoorn, both are heavily invested in groundwater exploration and having mixed results, with the iron and manganese concentrations presenting the same difficulties.
"Bitou's geotechnical investigation of a dam site report is being awaited. Roll-out of projects is slow due to funding constraints of projects."
Value
Van Molendorf stressed that water has to be valued higher. Although we had good rains recently, the district needs to plan and manage water carefully.
The full PowerPoint presentation can be viewed at Eden District Municipality's website, https://invest.edendm.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Water-Safety-and-Security-SA-Institution-of-Civil-Engineers-Southern-Cape-Water-Status-Overview.pdf
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