By Larry Claasen
THE Digicon held by Western Cape Premier Alan Winde in March highlighted the province’s efforts to become more water resilient and mitigate the impact of possible droughts.
Though the Western Cape is no longer dealing with a water crisis, the fears sparked by it nearly reaching “Day Zero” – the moment when the taps run dry – are driving it to become more water resilient.
Western Cape water strategy aims to prevent future crises
This has led to the Western Cape committing to adding 341-million m³ of water by 2035.
As a way to avert another water crisis, a 15-year plan has been developed, which in turn has led to the Cape Water Resilience Strategy 2035.
The aim of the strategy is not only to secure the water supply but also to drive development in the province, said Graham Paulse, the head of department for the Department of Local Government.
This will see the Western Cape, City of Cape Town, local municipalities, and the national government working together to add 341-million m³ of water through augmentation, water conservation and demand management, infrastructure development, and governance.
Western Cape water plan emphasises environmental restoration
Augmentation will involve the removal of alien plant species and the restoration of wetlands. Water conservation will focus on reducing domestic water consumption and increasing efficiency in business and industrial use.
There are also extensive plans not only to maintain existing infrastructure but also to develop new water-related projects. The strategy also includes governance interventions to improve skills and strengthen disaster preparation.
The Western Cape has also assessed the water security risk of its municipalities and introduced interventions, such as requesting the national Department of Water and Sanitation to increase the water licence capacity of some municipalities and assisting them with borehole initiatives.
Western Cape water projects receive major investment boost
For the 2025/26 period, Paulse said that R32-million had been committed to priority projects, such as raising the Dassieshoek Dam in Langeberg.
The Western Cape is also looking to develop town-based Water Resilience Plans for all its municipalities.
Paulse said that when measured year-on-year, there has been a significant improvement in water resilience in the province.
“As we move towards a broader water resilience strategy within the province, our efforts over the last 10 years are yielding significant improvement in the water supply systems in the province.”
The efforts to manage water resources were also noted by Winde.
“If I look back at the last time we had a drought and I look at water usage just in the city of Cape Town, we are still using less water per capita now with a population growth that’s unbelievable, and we’re still using less water per capita than we were using before the drought in 2017,” he said.
Western Cape water planning expands to include flood mitigation
The province is not only planning for droughts but also for excessive rainfall, noted Winde.
“We’ve also got to be prepared for when the rains come. We don’t want the floods to wash everything else away again. Are we getting that right? Are we making sure that the water’s going to go into the water catchment areas? Are the canals open? Are the drainage areas open?”
