The Mossel Bay Municipality in the Western Cape has assured residents of a full year's water supply, even as forecasts predict below-average rainfall this year. This comes amid ongoing drought conditions affecting the Garden Route and Little Karoo regions. The assurance is based on current average daily consumption levels.
In the face of drought plaguing several towns along the Garden Route and Little Karoo, the Mossel Bay Municipality states it has secured enough water for the next 12 months. This projection relies on average daily usage patterns, providing some relief to residents concerned about water scarcity.
The municipality's infrastructure services director, Dick Naidoo, highlighted the role of a R200 million desalination plant constructed during the previous drought. The facility has been well-maintained and stands ready for immediate deployment. "The plant will feed purified desalinated water to the Langeberg reservoir from where the potable water will be distributed to other areas," Naidoo explained. He added that both the desalination and reclamation plants would ramp up to full capacity once dam levels fall below 30%, in line with Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) guidelines.
This preparedness underscores Mossel Bay's efforts to mitigate the impacts of reduced rainfall, which experts anticipate for the Western Cape this year. While neighboring areas grapple with severe restrictions, the municipality's infrastructure investments appear to offer a buffer against immediate crisis.