2021: The Year in Review
Looking back at 2021, the greatest challenge was the 20% availability of water from the scheme, with the critical level of the Kouga Dam compelling the Gamtoos Irrigation Board to make an allocation of just 15% for the new water year. The drought has changed the landscape of the Gamtoos Valley, with a decline in vegetable and dairy production.
Water restrictions
This is the fifth consecutive year that Gamtoos scheme water users have had their water quota restricted. The level of the Kouga Dam stood at 3.89% on 22 July 2021 – the lowest it has ever reached.
Agricultural users were restricted by 80% during the 2020/2021 water year. It is exceedingly difficult, from an operational point of view, to manage an allocation of 20%. The four-day ‘water shedding’ has been the only feasible option.
Kouga Municipality was restricted by 30%, as were the rest of the sources in the Algoa system. The Metro was restricted by 70% out of Loerie Dam. At the end of June, all water users had stayed within their quota.
Operational health
The low Kouga Dam level gave GIB the opportunity to perform important maintenance work on the dam wall, while the 2021 dry period changed our approach to the maintenance of the scheme. The following work is notable:
- The main and branch canals were maintained and cleaned. In future, the aim is to cover the whole scheme in two weeks.
- Engineering firm MSW performed an audit to monitor risk areas.
- We worked with 20 contractors, each with 10 employees, who received first aid, and health and safety training.
- Working for Water personnel were employed to do quality control.
- Essential maintenance work was done to Buffelshoek. The Department is still in the process of replacing the syphon.
- One of the sluices had to be replaced as it had reached the end of its lifespan.
Future plans include dry land rehabilitation and the management of vegetation alongside the canal system. In addition:
- Planning is underway to prolong the service life of sections of the canal system.
- Alternative (flexible) products will be used to prevent the same maintenance having to be carried out annually.
- Placing rock traps in front of the syphons will make their cleaning easier.
- It is planned that all syphons will have been cleaned by 2028. Then it will require a 12-year cycle to clean the 38 syphons and 12 closed canals.
Financial health
During 2019/2020, expenditure on the scheme was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and not enough of the budget could be spent on routine work. Operationally, more than three times the allocated work was done during the 2020/2021 dry period than in 2019/2020. That had a direct effect on consumable stock, but management also realised that the increased maintenance must continue if a significant change is to be made to the scheme.
Water tariffs for 2021/2022
An increase of 19.84% in water tariffs is recommended for the 2021/2022 year. During the drought there has been an attempt to minimise tariff increases, in the hope that the situation would improve. Operational maintenance and the aging of our scheme have led to a need for more funds and a larger adjustment. The commission income from the Working for Water projects has declined over the past few years and its contribution to our budget is becoming more uncertain.
Working for Water programme
The Board implements 34 Natural Resource Management (NRM) projects for the Department of Environmental Affairs with a total budget of R45 million for 2021/2022 (R82 million for 2020/2021) and 30 dedicated personnel under three area managers.
The Department is busy changing certain processes based on findings by the Auditor General. For the current budget year, we can only budget for half the usual anticipated income because we find ourselves at the end of a departmental financial cycle. The end of March 2022 is also the end of the current contract with the Department. Tenders were submitted in January and we await the results.
Transformation
During the past year, the Department of Water and Sanitation has made a serious effort to convert Gamtoos Irrigation Board into a water users’ association. The goal is that this new water management entity should involve the total hydrological area of the catchment area and that other geographical areas should come together under one banner for the benefit of all users. Various public participation meetings with interested parties were held, and the Department is awaiting feedback from this process.
The road ahead
In the year ahead, the following will be of importance:
- The conversion into a water users’ association.
- Involvement of and service delivery to our commercial water users.
- Involvement and empowerment of our developing water users.
- Striving for effective water management despite very challenging restrictions.
- Implementation of operational goals to make a discernible difference to an aging scheme.
2021: Die Jaar on Oënskou
As mens terugkyk op 2021 was die grootste uitdaging die 20% beskikbaarheid van water uit die skema, en die kritieke vlak van die Kougadam wat die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad gedwing het om ‘n toekenning van slegs 15% te maak vir die nuwe waterjaar. Die droogte het beslis die landskap van die Gamtoosvallei verander, met ‘n afname in groente en suiwelproduksie.
Waterbeperkings
Hierdie is die vyfde agtereenvolgende jaar dat Gamtoosskema waterverbruikers se waterkwota beperk is. Die vlak van die Kougadam het op 22 Julie op 3.89% gestaan – die laagste wat dit nog ooit bereik het.
Landbouverbruikers is deur 80% beperk tydens die 2020/2021 waterjaar. Dit was uiters moeilik, uit ‘n operasionele oogpunt, om ‘n toekenning van 20% te bestuur. Die vier-dae ‘water beurtleiding’ was die enigste haalbare keuse.
Kouga Munisipaliteit is beperk tot 30%, asook die res van die bronne in die Algoa-stelsel. Die Nelson Mandela Baai metro is met 70% beperk uit die Loeriedam. Teen die einde van Junie, het alle verbruikers binne hulle kwota gebly.
Operasionele gesondheid
Die lae vlak van die Kougadam het GBR die geleentheid gegun om belangrike instandhoudingswerk te doen aan die damwal, terwyl die 2021 droogte ons benadering verander het tot herstelwerk aan die skema. Die volgende take is noemenswaardig:
- Die hoof en takkanale is skoongemaak en herstel. In die toekoms sal ons poog om die hele skema in twee weke te dek.
- Ingenieursfirma, MSW het ‘n oudit uitgevoer om hoë risiko areas te monitor.
- Ons het saam met 20 kontrakteurs gewerk, elk met 10 werknemers, wat eerstehulp, en veiligheids- en gesondheidsopleiding ontvang het.
- Personeel van Werk vir Water is in diens geneem om kwaliteitsbeheer te doen.
- Noodsaaklike instandhoudingswerk is by Buffelshoek gedoen. Die Departement is steeds in die proses om die duikpyp te vervang.
- Een van die sluise moes vervang word omdat dit die einde van sy lewensduur bereik het.
Toekomsplanne sluit in droëland rehabilitasie en die bestuur van plantegroei langs die kanaalsisteem. Daarby:
- Daar is beplanning onderweg om die dienslewe van seker gedeeltes van die kanaalsisteem te verleng.
- Alternatiewe (buigsame) produkte sal gebruik word om te verhoed dat dieselfde instandhouding jaarliks uigevoer moet word.
- ‘Rock traps’ voor die duikpype sal hulle skoonmaak vergemaklik.
- Dit word beplan dat alle duikpype teen 2028 skoongemaak sal word. Dan sal dit ‘n 12-jaar siklus neem om die 38 duikpype en 12 geslote kanale skoon te maak.
Finansiële gesondheid
Tydens 2019/2020 is uitgawes geraak deur die Covid-19 pandemie en is daar toe nie genoeg van die begroting om aan roetine werk te bestee nie. Operasioneel is daar in 2020/2021 meer as driekeer die toegekende werk gedoen as in 2019/2020. Dit het ‘n direkte effek gehad op die verbruiksgoedere, maar die bestuur het ook besef dat die verhoogde instandhouding moet aanhou as ‘n betekenisvolle verandering aan die skema gemaak wil word.
Watertariewe vir 2021/2022
‘n Verhoging van 19.84% in watertariewe word aanbeveel vir die 2021/2022 jaar. Tydens die droogte was daar ‘n poging om die tariefverhogings te minimaliseer, in die hoop dat die situasie sou verbeter. Operasionele instandhouding en die veroudering van die skema het daartoe gelei dat daar ‘n groter nood vir fondse en vir groter aanpassing is. Die kommissie-inkomste vanaf die Werk vir Water projekte het oor die afgelope paar jare afgeneem en die bydrae tot ons begroting het meer onseker geword.
Werk vir Water program
Die Raad implementeer vir 2021/2022 34 Natuurlike Hulpbronbestuursprojekte namens die Departement van Omgewingsake, met ‘n totale begroting van R45 miljard (R82 mijard vir 2020/2021) en daar is 30 toegewyde personeel onder die beheer van drie area bestuurders.
Die Departement is tans besig om sekere prosesse te verander, gebaseer op die bevindings van die Ouditeur-generaal. Vir die huidige begrotingsjaar, kan ons slegs vir die helfte van die verwagte inkomste begroot omdat ons onsself aan die einde van ‘n departementele finansiële siklus bevind. Die einde van Maart 2022 is ook die einde van die huidige kontrak met die Departement. Tenders is in Januarie ingedien en ons wag steeds op die uitslag.
Transformasie
Tydens die afgelope jaar het die Departement van Water en Sanitasie ‘n ernstige poging aangewend om die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad te omskep in ‘n waterverbruikersvereniging. Die doel daarvan is dat hierdie nuwe waterbestuursentiteit die totale hidrologiese opvangsgebied sal betrek en dat ander geografiese gebiede sal saamkom onder een vaandel tot die voordeel van alle verbruikers. Verskeie publieke deelnemersvergaderings is gehou met belangstellendes en die Departement wag op terugvoer uit dié proses.
Die pad vorentoe
In die jaar wat voorlê, sal die volgende van belang wees:
- Die omskakeling na ‘n waterverbruikersvereniging;
- Betrokkenheid by en dienslewering aan ons kommersiële waterverbruikers;
- Betrokkenheid en bemagtiging van ons ontwikkelende waterverbruikers;
- Die strewe na effektiewe waterbestuur ten spyte van baie uitdagende beperkings;
- Implementering van operasionele doelwitte om ‘n waarneembare verskil te maak aan ‘n verouderde skema.
