GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — In a release issued earlier this week, the local municipality urges community members to keep in mind that the water issue in Graaff-Reinet is a dire matter.
The dam level is currently at a little more than 9%.
Fines are at present being imposed for contravention of the water restriction regulations such as using hose pipes, filling swimming pools, and the like.
There are no fines for high consumption, however, consumers are billed on a stepped tariff.
This means that the more a residence consumes, the higher the account.
Residents are warned that, should residents not drastically cut down on consumption, the demand for water will soon exceed the supply, based on the present rate of consumption.
The municipality is currently making use of borehole water to supply the town of water.
How do the town's boreholes work?
The water to be supplied by each borehole is individually calculated by first performing a “pumping test” on each of them.
A well-defined formula is then applied to calculate the volume the borehole can safely deliver.
Pumps are then installed that can only deliver the specified volume of water.
The top water level of each borehole is monitored: the more modern installations do this on an hourly basis by means of telemetry and the older installations without telemetry on a monthly basis.
Quantities extracted are also monitored so as to ensure that the extraction rate does not exceed the design capacity.
The life of a borehole cannot be tested since there are too many variables that can affect its performance, hence the continual monitoring.
Presently, Graaff-Reinet has two well fields - one in Dam Camp and the other at Mimosadale.
Dam Camp has 22 production boreholes of which 15 are operational.
The remaining seven are presently being equipped in order to have all 22 operational.
Mimosadale has 8 production boreholes.
Should all boreholes be in production they should be able to supply 70% of the town’s needs - the need is based on the town's water use before restrictions and what was being delivered from the dam.
It is for this reason that residents are requested to conserve water.
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