Water restrictions – Heed the call

‘The Water Observer’ writes:-

ON THE AFTERNOON of October 12, the weather changed and the prospect of rain was in the air. But the next day, it was clear that the only relief was the colder weather that broke the days of heat, that had dried out the earth and the people for days before.

The one-time Borough Engineer, Faan Venter, bless his soul, had a visionary mind and he had restrictions imposed long before it was needed, and once the rain fell it was easier to lift sanctions on water consumption.

At the end of the rain season February to March 2015, why was there no stock-take on our water resources and implementation of water saving initiatives for the dry winter months looming? Water restrictions became a reality in July 2015 this year and might be too late to save the day.

The White Umfolozi has its catchment in the mountains outside Vryheid. With the confluence of Besterspruit, Omigod and other minor fountains and smaller streams, the biggest dam was built known as Klipfontein. This was to supplement the water in Bloemveld Dam which due to the population hike could not provide enough for the whole community in Vryheid.

The original dam of Grootgewacht, has been surpassed by the needs as it is not a very deep dam. The need is upon us now as the water in Grootgewacht is been passed from the sluices to supplement the water in Bloemveld Dam. When will we be honoured with a higher dam wall to supplement our water resources, or a new dam?

Waters does not come from taps, and taps stop working when water in dams become too little to supply them. This is seriously urgent to ponder if you want to have water in the next couple of months.

Unless you have your own borehole, please do not water your plants, wash your car or waste water for swimming pools, big time bathing orgies or washing clothes every day. If the situation is not getting better in a couple of weeks, you may not have water at all.

At the last count, the water in Klipfontein Dam is being depleted at a rate of 1.5% per week and the dam was 34% full giving Vryheid about 22 weeks of water. The erosion of soil of many years, that is deposited in our dams, does not give the full picture of the available water and therefore be forewarned that the available water can be much less.

The Municipality has been graciously lenient to its own demise and be warned, that urgent steps will be enforced to conserve water.

Bottled water is a conservation effort as the tap water is full of water treatment chemicals as the quality of water is diminished due to the quality of water available in the dams. As the body of a human is 70% water, notice that we need water to survive. Not to soak our bodies in water, washing our cars as an extension of our personalities, to have sparkling pools and lush gardens.

If we don’t heed this call, even the water in your glass of Johnnie Walker whisky will be dearer than the whisky itself.

Churches have days of praying as the need of rain and water has been in the limelight for months this year. Unfortunately, the true Christians will devote their time to pray for rain, others will wait and when the rains eventually come, they will say while they empty their rain meters, “Late but enough”. Be crusaders for faith, pray for rain for rivers and dams, parched ground and farming lands, animals domestic and wild, farm dams, and fishes and for the glory of God.

As a fisherman, the picture of Bloemveld Dam left me awe inspired. I visited my favourite haunts for bass fishing in the last two weeks and I was struck with the amount of water left in our dams and rivers.

This is a dry year again, El Nino has struck us with a vengeance. Most of my farmer friends have parked their machines and are waiting for life in the sky. Meanwhile fishing is the worst in my time of 24 years in Vryheid, and hopefully it will not be as bad as before Demoina flash floods in 1984.

Water is the basis of life and we all need it, humans and animals and the growers of the annual crops, our farmers, need our prayers for good nourishing rain.