Minister Anton Bredell calls on public to use valuable groundwater reserves sparingly on World Water Day.
Today World Water Day draws attention to the hidden water resource, groundwater, and advocates for its, and other freshwater resources, sustainable management.
As traditional sources for bulk water supply are coming under increasing pressure, ground water has a vital role to play in water and sanitation systems, agricultural and industrial usage, ecosystems health, and climate change adaptation. And while industrial and agricultural users can play a huge role in protecting groundwater reserves, the general public can also contribute to protecting this scare resource.
“South Africa is a water scarce country and to avoid another ‘Day Zero’ scenario there needs to be a shift in the way we think about groundwater. It is not an endless supply that we can tap into. We also need to protect groundwater from pollution resulting from burying waste and discharging pollutants to soil such as pesticides and commercial fertilizers,” Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said.
“We need to rethink our relationship with water and can learn from countries such as Israel and Australia. That is why the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) developed a Sustainable Water Management Plan, which focus on strategies to optimise our water usage, and pays attention to groundwater use, water reclamation through the re-use of effluent from wastewater treatment plants, as well as the optimization of desalination,” Bredell said.
Wilna Kloppers, Director for Pollution and Chemicals Management at DEA&DP said: “Groundwater is a very special resource that should be protected and managed holistically, which is why we look at Water Sensitive Urban Design interventions to re-charge our groundwater and to help prevent and filter pollution of groundwater.”
Kloppers added that protecting and rehabilitating river riparian areas and wetlands with natural vegetation and allowing rivers space to flood and flow naturally, recharges invisible groundwater supplies that can then be relied upon more readily in times of need.
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Contact:
Wouter Kriel
Spokesperson for Minister Anton Bredell
Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
079 694 3085