Water use licence for dam development rejected, but municipality appealing

Update

GEORGE NEWS - The water use licence for the proposed development at the Garden Route Dam was rejected by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Reasons provided in the department's notification to the municipality (dated 15 September) for this decision pertain to the buffer no-go area, a rehabilitation plan for proposed in-stream water use activities, the storm water management plan, a proposed bridge across the Klein Swart River Wetland, and proposed relocation of the existing Glenwood pump station.

George Municipality communications chief Chantèl Edwards said the municipality has appealed the outcome.

Environmental approval (EA) for the development was granted on 19 September, and some of the interested and affected parties opposed to the development were of the opinion that EA could not be granted before the issuance of a water use licence.

However, Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning head of communications Rudolf van Jaarsveldt said EA is allowed to be granted before the water use licence.

"They are issued in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (Nema) and the National Water Act (NWA), respectively, and each process is regulated by its own legislative time frames. However, the respective authorities strive to synchronise the processes for the issuing of licences and environmental authorisations."

One of the biggest concerns that some residents and organisations have is the impact of the proposed development on the water quality of the dam through potential sewage spills and storm water runoff. Sewage spills into the Kat River, that feeds the dam, have been a problem for years.

There have been a number of spills recently, the latest of which was at 02:00 on Friday 7 October. Acting Director of Civil Engineering Services Lindsay Mooiman said the delivery manifold at the Eden sewer pump station had burst.

"This resulted in an overflow of the pump station into the emergency overflow pond system. The operational stand-by teams were immediately notified and reacted instantly to the problem. An external contractor assisted the George Municipality throughout the night, and the pump station was restored to operation on the same day," she said.

"During the shutdown period, the George Municipality utilised their own sewer suction tankers and external suction tankers to attend to the incoming flow and to empty the emergency overflow pond system.

"There was, however, a minor spillage into the Kat River, and the necessary post-spillage remedial actions were taken. The incident was reported to the relevant authorities involved."

GRDM water samples

The Garden Route District Municipality takes regular water samples at strategic points in the Kat River system and at the dam. According to head of communications Herman Pieters, the samples taken for the past three months fall outside the parameter prescribed by Sanas (SA National Accreditation System), which is 500cfu/100ml.

"Chemical samples will be taken at these sites in due course and will be sent to an accredited laboratory to allow us to enforce legislation based on the compliance of the results received. The George Municipality is the competent authority, however, engagements with the relevant officials at the municipality as well as other stakeholders such as sector departments are ongoing.

As part of our monitoring plan, Municipal Health Services from GRDM will liaise with the Department of Water Affairs and George Municipality about the matter again."

In the weekly online vote on George Herald's website, 15,21% (40) of respondents said they are for the development at the Garden Route Dam and 84,79% (223) voted against it.

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