The demand for water in the Western Cape was a ticking time-bomb which had to be defused, Western Cape premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on Monday.
Opening the Western Cape Water Summit in Stellenbosch, he said the provincial government was committed to finding sustainable solutions to ”our looming water shortage.”
The premier said that while there would appear, on the surface at least, to be little cause for alarm, there were already water shortages in some catchment areas but on average supply and demand seemed to be in balance.
There were even opportunities for increased use in the Breede River and Olifants/Doring River catchment areas. ”This apparent equilibrium of supply and demand has led to widespread complacency,” Van Schalkwyk said.
”This apparent equilibruim of supply and demand is, however, only misleading.”
He said water consumption and demand for water in the province was growing annually at a rate of three to four percent for households and 1,5% to two percent for agriculture.
While the demand continued to grow, there was no way to ensure higher levels of rainfall compensated for the increased use.
He said that in the City of Cape Town alone, demand was rising by 20-million cubic metres a year.
”The fact is that until the Skuifraam Dam in Franschhoek has been built at an estimated cost of R1,4-billion, water restrictions will be part of our lives unless we receive abnormally high rainfall levels over this period,” Van Schalkwyk said.
There would be temporary relief once the dam had been completed along with the Lourens River extension, until 2010, after which shortages would again be experienced on a regular basis.
Van Schalkwyk said the key was not to find more water but rather reduce the present demand for water. – Sapa