Overstrand 2030: Planning for Growth is Whale Coast Report’s ongoing series examining how population growth, infrastructure investment and development are shaping the future of the Overstrand. Through official documents, expert analysis and public records, the series explores whether the municipality is prepared for the challenges of the next decade.
HERMANUS – The Overstrand Municipality recently commenced with the drilling of a new production borehole at the corner of the R43 and Mountain Drive in Hermanus as part of its ongoing programme to improve water security. Municipal planning documents indicate that Greater Hermanus is on track to use more water than its current licensed allocation within the next few years, forcing the municipality to develop new water sources to keep pace with growth.
According to projections contained in the municipality’s Water Services Development Plan (WSDP), water demand in Greater Hermanus is expected to continue increasing steadily over the remainder of the decade.
The municipality modelled three possible growth scenarios for 2029:
Low-growth scenario (3% annual growth): 6,224.534 megalitres per year (Ml/a)
Standard WSDP projection: 6,492.206 Ml/a
High-growth scenario (4% annual growth): 6,532.621 Ml/a
Under the municipality’s standard planning model, projected demand exceeds the current licensed water allocation by 492.206 megalitres per year by 2029.
The crunch comes much sooner
Perhaps more significant than the 2029 projection is the timetable for when existing water resources are expected to come under pressure.
The WSDP indicates that Greater Hermanus is the only municipal water supply system in the region where demand is expected to exceed the sustainable yield of existing licensed water resources in the immediate future.
Under the municipality’s standard planning model and the higher 4% growth scenario, demand will exceed existing licensed water volumes by 2027.
Even under the more conservative 3% annual growth scenario, the limit is expected to be reached by 2028.
In practical terms, this means the municipality cannot rely indefinitely on its current water resources if population growth continues as expected.
New water sources already being planned
The municipality acknowledges in its planning documents that additional water resources will need to be developed within the next three to five years. Several projects have already been identified. The first is the continued expansion of groundwater abstraction through the Greater Hermanus wellfields, including the Gateway, Camphill and Volmoed wellfields.
The second is considerably more significant. Planning has commenced for the first phase of a 3 megalitre-per-day seawater desalination plant for Greater Hermanus. According to the WSDP, the project is intended for implementation in the short term as part of the municipality’s strategy to meet future water demand.
Why this matters
The projections arrive at a time when Greater Hermanus continues to experience strong residential growth, major housing developments and increasing tourism.
Water availability has become one of the key questions surrounding future development approvals.
The WSDP projections do not suggest Hermanus is about to run out of water. Rather, they indicate that the municipality has a limited window to expand its water supply infrastructure before demand overtakes the capacity of its existing licensed resources.
Whether those additional groundwater projects and the proposed desalination plant can be delivered on time will play an important role in determining how the town accommodates future growth.
Whale Coast Report will examine these planned projects in more detail in a forthcoming series called Hermanus 2030: Planning for Growth.
What do you think?
Comments
One scenario is critical: the cause of the devastating peat bed fires in the Hand A valley were arguably ccaused by the lack of sufficient release of water from the de Bos dam keeping the Onrus river heallthy. It is clear that the matter of sufficient release has not been resolved. If thus, for example, the release amount is increased, there would be an instant shortage. One has to question why the push continues for, mainly, upmarket development seemingly at all cost, when those that already live here, cannot conceivably be sufficiently catered for .
Where is a bylaw insisting on grey water/rain harvesting for any new build? Imagine the job creation installing such systems on existing and new builds?
Plumbing, gutters, pumps, tree trimmers et al?
Without solving the massive disparity that exists in Hermanus specificaly as regards equitable service delivery, as well as across the region, any development cannot possible be considered ""sustainable".
What about the cost?
Overstrand is a water scarce area, resources are finite.
If we cannot equitably service and supply those that are here, we cannot allow more development without imposing strict considerations like rain harvesting grey water systems, sewerage systems as well as power generation - something i am sure the public would agree should havve been the parameters for a site like de Mond - but of course we, the public, were not consulted...