Coke Ville eases water woes

KAROO NEWS - Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) is set to launch its Graaff-Reinet Coke Ville project, a groundbreaking groundwater harvesting mega initiative valued at R12m.

This project will provide drinking water to the communities of Adendorp, Asherville, and Kroonvale, with the official handover taking place today, 19 October.

Lauren Cohen, a corporate representative for CCBSA, said the venture is a collaboration with the National Department of Water and Sanitation and the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality.

The Coke Ville project

The Coke Ville project, which relies on solar power, addresses the water supply challenges in Graaff-Reinet. It operates independently off the grid, harvesting and treating groundwater. This project can supply 27 million litres of water per month to the drought-stricken town. Nozicelo Ngcobo, the Director of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability at CCBSA, shared that the new Coke Ville systems have the capability to deliver 324 million litres of clean water annually, thanks to an 89,7kW solar PV system.

The borehole pump can extract water at a rate of 107 000 litres per hour. "As a company that uses water as one of its key ingredients, we are very conscious of the importance of preserving water for future generations, as we operate in a water-scarce country that's also prone to droughts," Ngcobo added.

Water to vulnerable areas

Municipal Manager Eddie Rankwana expressed his excitement about the project.

"Four borehole site systems in the Mimosadale well field are powered by renewable solar energy and associated infrastructure.

"Notably, these systems are not dependent on Eskom for power and are unaffected by load shedding," he says.

The pumps can fill the 18Ml storage reservoir one and a half times each month, which amounts to 27Ml of water supplied to Graaff-Reinet monthly. This project will benefit 3 882 households in Kroonvale, Adendorp, and Asherville, totalling a population of 20 449, including 1 680 indigent households.

Vuyisa Jantjies, spokesperson of Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality, explained that higher-lying areas like Asherville, Adendorp, and Kroonvale have historically struggled to maintain their reservoirs at capacity. He said that the harvested water will undergo chemical treatment to adhere to South African National Standards, ensuring its safety for human consumption.

Currently it is not necessary to use more than one pump, as one extracts enough water to fill the reservoirs.

"Graaff-Reinet's daily water demand ranges from six to eight million litres per day, while the four pumps provide 1,2 million litres daily, feeding into the existing system.

"This ongoing five-year project with CCBSA, now in its second year, is committed to providing technical support, training and maintenance," said Jantjies.

This aerial photo shows what the plantation looks like, two sets of solar panels that will provide uninterrupted power supply to the pumps, and the kilometers op water piping that leads to town - a beacon of hope for the community of Graaff-Reinet.