City of Cape Town's Draft Water Strategy invites public comments

The City of Cape Town’s Draft Water Strategy (full document) has opened for public comments and recommendations. The primary purpose of this strategy is to ensure that the city will be more resilient to future droughts. The draft strategy:

• Articulates the City’s plan to ensure greater water security over the next 10 years as it moves towards being a water-sensitive city
• Reports that new surface water resources are limited. Therefore, in future, a greater proportion of Cape Town’s water demand will be met from alternative sources including groundwater, water re-use and desalination
• Commits to increasing available capacity by more than 300 million litres per day over the next ten years, based on scenario analysis
• Acknowledges reliance on rain-fed dams for most of its water, which is much cheaper than alternative supply sources
• Commits to transform Cape Town over time into a more resilient and water-sensitive city. This will be done through new incentives and regulatory mechanisms as well as the way the city invests – in consultation with residents

The draft strategy takes into account the important, yet complex, relationships between water, people, the economy and the environment and sets out five commitments which support its realisation as mentioned below:

1. Safe access to water and sanitation. The City will provide safe access to water and sanitation for all residents in terms of well-defined minimum standards, especially for communities in informal settlements.

2. Wise water use. The City will promote the wise use of water by all water users.

3. Sufficient, reliable water from diverse sources. The City will provide sufficient, reliable water from diverse sources which could include groundwater, water re-use and desalinated water, cost-effectively and timeously. This will help to increase resilience and substantially reduce the likelihood of severe water restrictions in future.

4. Shared benefits from regional water resources. The City will collaborate with key stakeholders and partners, including other urban and agricultural water users, and other spheres of government, to make the most of the opportunities to optimise the economic, social and ecological benefits of regional water resources, and to reduce the risks associated with scarcity.

5. A water-sensitive city. The City will actively facilitate the transformation of Cape Town over time into a water-sensitive city that makes optimal use of stormwater and urban waterways for the purposes of flood control, aquifer recharge, water re-use and recreation.

Following a process of intensive engagement, a Draft Water Strategy has been prepared for Cape Town’s residents for consideration and feedback. From 15 February, the public participation process gives residents one calendar month (to 15 March 2019) in which to scrutinise the City’s plans to prepare for water security and to share their constructive views on it. The City’s efforts to achieve the status of being a water sensitive-city, and the interventions necessary to do so, will be introduced in consultation with residents.

Residents can submit their comments as follows:
•        Online: www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay 
•        Written submission: at sub-council offices

Special assistance will be given to people who cannot read or write, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups who are unable to submit written comments. Contact Ismail du Plooy (Public Participation Unit) on 021 400 1184.
 
All general public participation-related inquiries should be directed to Nathan Fisher on 021 400 1450.