Is it a case of damn those decisions of yesteryear?
"The area around Tayside was considered ideal as the whole area had ample low-grade coal suitable for SASOL and land for large factories with housing space was readily available."
Have the decisions of the past, not to build more dams in the area, come back to haunt Dundee which is still in the grips of water restrictions?
The good rains in recent months (approximately 300mm has been recorded since January) have seen the rivers flowing again after a very dry early summer.
However, the water supply is still lowered meaning that the higher-lying areas of Dundee and Glencoe are still without water during the day and late at night.
Many irate residents have called the Courier demanding to know why the restrictions are still in place but Umzinyathi District Municipality has said Endumeni is barely scraping through when it comes to water supply and demand.
Nomonde Nzimakwe of Umzinyathi District Municipality confirmed that ‘there is simply not enough capacity (of water)’.
“While Tom Worthington Dam is around 85% full, Donald McHardy dam is still under 50%. These dams, and Verdruk dam, are used as back-up during the winter months or when the pump station at Tayside should fail,” Ms Nzimakwe said.
In the 1960s, Councillor Charles Shaw proposed that a dam be built on the Buffalo River
“We rely on the Buffalo River which is limited to 12 megalitres per day and our daily usage (Dundee and Glencoe combined) is 11 megalitres. The only way to ensure we can keep up with demand is to ‘water-shed’ to ensure we use less than the 11 megalitres.
“The recent rains have not been sufficient at all. We are still urging our customers to use water sparingly; the drought is not over yet.”
Residents, who contacted the Courier, spoke of an idea mooted some 60 years ago to build a new, bigger dam that would spark industrial development.
Dundee historian, Rob Marshall, whose family have strong links in Dundee (Rob now lives in Ermelo but is a frequent visitor here), recalled that in the early 1960s, Councillor Charles Shaw proposed that a dam be built on the Buffalo River.
“The reason was partly because ISCOR was searching for a spot to build a new plant and SASOL was also considering expansion and the need for a reliable water source was paramount to their decisions.
“Apparently the Natal Administration were ready to finance any development but rumour has it that the Dundee council were reluctant to have such a massive industrial development that could attract criminals, shady characters and the hooligan element “on their doorstep”.
“The area around Tayside was considered ideal as the whole area had ample low-grade coal suitable for SASOL and land for large factories with housing space was readily available.
According to Rob politics won the day with Chelmsford Dam being built outside Newcastle.
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