New water works for Franschhoek
2005-06-02
THE Stellenbosch Municipality plans to upgrade the Franschhoek water system by moving the treatment plant to the top of the pass.
A scoping workshop to identify and discuss any environmental issues will be held on Thursday 9 June at 18:00 in the Franschhoek Council Chambers.
Franschhoek South has been experiencing water supply problems in recent years, regarding capacity, pressure and quality.
To help address this, two new reservoirs of sufficient capacity have been built, at a higher elevation to ensure adequate pressure.
The proposed relocation of the purification plant is advised because of the need for the newly-built reservoirs to be fed by gravity with purified water, thus requiring the filtration plant also to be at a higher elevation.
Installing sand filters will allow for better purification, addressing concerns about parasites, the discolouration of the water supply in winter, and the acidity levels that cause corrosion to the reticulation system in the village and in the plumbing of homes.
Summit
The proposed site is one of five considered, and is deemed most suited because of it being the only flat land available at suitable elevation (the sand filter ponds need to be on flat land).
The facility will be designed in an environmentally and aesthetically sensitive manner, and also will allow for amenities to be established for the first time at the summit, benefiting the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve administration and visiting public.
The modern infrastructure will also obviate the need for continuing with the pollution-prone diesel pumping system currently employed at the summit site.
Updated background information for the proposed relocation is available for inspection at Franschhoek Public Library, the Municipal Offices (Planning Department), Stellenbosch, FEDI Site Office in Franschhoek, Dr Steenkamp & Associates at 8 Louis Botha St, Franschhoek and EnviroAfrica, 31 Harewood Avenue, Somerset West.
Members of the public are invited to register as Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) for the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
Comments
Any written comments and inputs regarding potential environmental impacts should reach EnviroAfrica no later than Friday 17 June.
All issues identified will be addressed through a Scoping Report which will be made available for comment to registered I&APs.
EnviroAfrica can be contacted at PO Box 5367, fax 855 5338, or info@ enviroafrica.co.za. For enquiries, phone Jerry Avis on 855-5333 or 083-449-3924.
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