City of Cape Town Link

Groundwater extraction

<div class="ExternalClass4F2B8207CF874183AF2D39DA783BE00A"><p>We are committed to ensuring Cape Town always has enough drinking water. Groundwater abstraction is one of the ways that we are bringing alternative sources of water into our network. </p></div>

<h2 class="sectHeading">About</h2><p>Groundwater abstraction comprises removing water from aquifers. It involves drilling a hole deep into the ground, followed by fitting a pump into the borehole and pumping up water from the ground. The water is then filtered and treated to national water standards.<br></p><p>Tapping into groundwater gives us another source of water, so we don't have to rely on rain-fed dams as much. The <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/general/cape-town-water-strategy">Cape Town Water Strategy</a> describes our commitment to improving our water supply security. It also explains how we will enable the transition, over time, into a water-sensitive city with diverse water resources, and diversified infrastructure. We also plan to make optimal use of stormwater and urban waterways for flood control, aquifer recharge, water reuse and recreation, while adhering to sound ecological principles.<br></p><p>Our New Water Programme was implemented in 2017, and included the upgrade of the Atlantis Water Resource Management Scheme (AWRMS), and the development of two additional groundwater schemes:<br></p><ul><li>Cape Flats Aquifer (CFA)</li><li>Table Mountain Group Aquifer (TMGA)</li></ul><p>By 2040, we plan to have 7% of our water supply coming from groundwater sources. Find out more about the New Water Programme in the <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/general/cape-town-water-strategy">Cape Town Water Strategy</a>.<br></p><p>The first groundwater supply project from the TMGA, next to Steenbras Dam, was launched on 5 August 2020. Find out more below.</p><div class="responsive-media"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xzXoHZAkv4k" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy light-blue bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info fastfact"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Fast fact</h4><p> <b>An aquifer</b> is a body of rock or soil with open spaces that can contain large amounts of water which collects underground. The water comes from rain, melting snow and ice, surface water and other sources.</p></div></div></span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Accessing groundwater</h2><p>Groundwater abstraction is a complex procedure based on scientific principles and detailed research.</p><h4>The process of accessing and managing groundwater safely consists of five phases:</h4><ul><li> <strong>Mobilisation: </strong>The project team checks whether existing water can be used more efficiently, and how the aquifer system can supply and store water. <br></li><li> <strong>Planning:</strong> Existing studies are sourced and boreholes sourced, mapped and refined to determine the amount of available groundwater. Borehole positions are planned, and experts conduct assessments.<br></li><li> <strong>Exploration:</strong> This involves drilling test boreholes for groundwater, and sampling and analysing the results. This phase is also referred to as a feasibility study.<br></li><li> <strong>Production: </strong>During this phase we drill, test and equip the abstraction boreholes, and provide the infrastructure needed to pump water into the reticulation network. </li><li> <strong>Extended close-out phase:</strong> Once all infrastructure is constructed, water is pumped into the existing network under controlled conditions to ensure that the whole system functions as intended. </li><li><strong>Monitoring: </strong>This is an ongoing activity that assists with the management of the scheme and ensures compliance. This continues even after a wellfield is decommissioned.<br></li></ul> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>Groundwater abstraction is strictly managed to limit environmental impact and prevent resources from running out. The National Department of Water and Sanitation requires a Water Use Licence, which provides conditions on how much water can be abstracted. </p></div></div></span> <h2 class="sectHeading">Aquifers</h2> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Inline%20Images/Grounwater_extraction.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /></figure> <p>Aquifers are key to offset our reliance on our dam water storage, and help us to build a more water-resilient city.</p><p>We have groundwater schemes tapping into three aquifers: </p><ul><li>Atlantis-Silwerstroom Aquifer;</li><li>Cape Flats Aquifer; and</li><li>Table Mountain Group Aquifer. </li></ul><h4> Atlantis-Silwerstroom Aquifer</h4><p>The Atlantis Aquifer covers an area of approximately 250 km² along the West Coast. The AWRMS has supplied Atlantis with groundwater from the sandy Atlantis Aquifer since the 1970s. Water is pumped from two groups of boreholes, namely Witzands and Silwerstroom wellfields. <br></p><p>The scheme also comprises wellfield and coastal recharge basins, which replenish the groundwater with treated domestic wastewater and stormwater, to maintain groundwater supplies and ensure environmental sustainability.<br></p><p>The AWRMS supplies between 5-9 million litres of drinkable groundwater per day, and around 0,5 of the City's supply comes from the Atlantis Aquifer. On-going refurbishment, as well as optimisation of the wellfields and managed aquifer recharge (MAR) infrastructure is expected to increase the groundwater supply volume to 25 million litres per day.<br></p><h4> Cape Flats Aquifer</h4><p>The Cape Flats Aquifer stretches over 400 km², from False Bay in the south, to Brackenfell in the northeast and Milnerton in the northwest.<br></p><p>The Cape Flats Aquifer Management Scheme (CFAMS) consists of five groups of boreholes:<br></p><ul><li>Strandfontein West;</li><li>Strandfontein North and East;</li><li>Philippi;</li><li>Hanover Park; and</li><li>Mitchells Plain.</li></ul><p>As there are no dams in this area, water abstracted from the boreholes is piped directly to the closest water treatment plant. The boreholes are expected to produce 50 million litres a day starting in late 2022.<br></p><p>In order to ensure the longevity of the aquifer, and to prevent over-abstraction, we plan to recharge the Cape Flats Aquifer through a process called managed aquifer recharge. </p><h4> Table Mountain Group Aquifer</h4><p>Table Mountain Group Aquifer is the biggest of the three aquifers. It extends from Vanrhynsdorp in the northwest, to Cape Agulhas in the south and Gqeberha in the east - an area comprising approximately 11 000 km² (including the Cape Peninsula and mountaineous major dam catchment regions east of Cape Town). <br></p><p>The Nardouw Aquifer, one of the aquifers forming part of the TMGA, has eight production boreholes, which have pumped into Upper Steenbras Dam since August 2020. They yield approximately 15-17 million litres of water per day.<br></p><p>We are developing the Peninsula Aquifer, which will increase the wellfield yield to approximately 25 million litres of water per day. This amount can provide 50 000 households (4 people per household) with 125 litres of water per person, per day. We aim to produce 50 million litres of groundwater per day from the various planned TMG wellfields.<br></p><h2 class="sectHeading">Contact us </h2> <span> <div class="notification with-heading dark-copy pink bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info note"></i> </div><div class="desc"><h4>Please note</h4><p>WhatsApp is currently unavailable for water fault reporting.</p></div></div></span> <ul><li> Email: <a href="mailto:water@capetown.gov.za">water@capetown.gov.za</a></li><li>Online: through our <em><a href="https://eservices1.capetown.gov.za/coct/wapl/zsreq_app/index.html" target="_blank">Service Request tool<i class="icon link-external"></i></a></em></li><li>SMS: <em> <a>31372</a></em> (<em>free SMSes do not apply</em>)</li></ul>

Find out more about groundwater abstraction.

Groundwater FAQs

404900

2020-08-03T22:00:00Z