Raised dam wall will ensure water supply

Water is life. This is a popular saying in Africa and around the world supporting the great level of importance on the resource. In all its forms – rainwater, streams, ponds, springs, lakes, rivers, ocean water and water vapour – water is an essential and central resource.

South Africa has over the years enjoyed a remarkable economic growth alongside increasing infrastructure development and rising foreign direct investment. South Africa holds a wealth of natural resources which few other parts of the globe can match including minerals, forests, wildlife and rich biological diversity.

However, the drought in KwaZulu-Natal has reached a stage where the province might not have enough water to last consumers through the winter season. This has led some local municipalities to implement and increase mandatory restrictions.

Dams have been used to provide a store of water for agriculture, industrial and household uses for thousands of years. The water in the reservoirs can be sent to treatment plants to make it suitable for drinking. The reservoir already provides some filtration since silts and other particles settle to the base of the reservoir and algae and aerobic bacteria destroy harmful microorganisms.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has given the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall the green light. The raising of the dam wall will increase its gross storage capacity from 23.9 to 43.7 cubic metres. The increased size will augment water supply to the North Coast and sustain irrigation downstream of the dam thus contributing to reducing the limitless thirst of the fast developing Northern Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. The need for the reliable provision of water is the driving force behind the project.

The flood of 1987 in KwaZulu-Natal, together with the normal rates of sedimentation, has reduced the storage capacity of the dam by almost 30%. In order to prevent critical water shortages in the affected areas, the project has been re-activated and the need for the dam rising has become crucial. The positive impacts of the project will ensure that the primary objective of assuring the supply of water to the industries and residents on the North Coast is met.

The most significant positive impact of the proposed dam wall raising will be the assurance of water supply to the growing urban and industrial users, due to the increased capacity of the dam. This will ensure continued economic growth, without compromising the levels of health and sanitation for the North Coast residents.

Other positive impacts include job creation, the creation of new aquatic habitats (as a result of the increased shoreline) and the inundation of alien/exotic vegetation.

Dams are not only important for economic growth, but also for overall economical and moral development. In many developed countries, dams have performed a key role in the development of the underdeveloped regions. Dams, which contribute to the national economy from many aspects like irrigation, drinking water supply, flood control, electricity generation, fishing, tourism, are also effective in increasing the living and cultural level of the region in which they were constructed.

MBALI MAHAYE

Department of Water and Sanitation