If I listen to government it seems as if we should think carefully about the future of water. They seem to be worried…should we be?
The following snippets are from the 2010/11 budget speech of the Western Cape Department of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning presented, MEC Anton Bredell, Western Cape provincial legislature.
“Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the house a question: What are we going to leave to our children? Will they have municipal infrastructure that gives them clean water, or will it make them sick? Will we pass on the values of honesty, hard work, and transparency or will we set an example of selfish and corrupt behaviour? Will we leave behind efficient, responsive municipalities, or municipalities that waste resources and do not listen to people?”
“Mr Speaker, I asked whether our children will have clean water in the future. A more important question is, will they have water in the future?
The Eden district has been gripped by the worst drought in at least 132 years. My Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) has worked closely with Mossel Bay, George, Knysna and Bitou to deal effectively with this drought.
I am pleased to say that we are not only dealing with the present crisis, but we are also ensuring that our children in the Garden Route have enough water in the future.
Together with Provincial Treasury, my Disaster Management Centre has been able to mobilise R195 million in drought relief funding, and this funding is being used to implement pioneering projects. Knysna has installed its first desalination plant in Sedgefield, and further desalination plants will be built in Bitou and in Knysna itself.
The coastal municipalities are implementing water recycling projects, and 20 percent of their water will come from these projects. Most importantly, awareness campaigns have cut water consumption drastically, by 49 percent in Mossel Bay and 43 percent in George, for example. We will continue to assist these municipalities as they implement their emergency projects during 2010/11.
We have learned a lot from this experience and will share it with other municipalities. We are asking municipalities in the Province to make sure that their tariff policies include emergency tariffs, and we are asking every one of them to develop a drought management plan.”
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Provincial Government
24 March 2010
