New desalination plant to keep 'Diamond of the West Coast' shining

Abstract

Desalination Situated some 280 km north of Cape Town, Lamberts Bay, nicknamed the ‘diamond of the West Coast’ , has developed from a small fishing village into a popular holiday town. The town has a population of around 40 000, which swells significantly during the peak holiday season. Lamberts Bay falls under the Cederberg Municipality. Lamberts Bay has traditionally obtained its water from groundwater sources, with six production boreholes located 15 km south of the town. A reconciliation study published by the Department of Water Affairs (DW A) in 2011 revealed that the town is abstracting significantly more from the boreholes than what is sustainable, causing water levels to decline at an ‘alarming rate’ . The DW A study also indicated that seasonal quality variation is apparent, with worsening of the water quality occurring in the summer months when there is little recharge. This has caused the primary coastal aquifer, Lower Wadrif well-field, to become under risk of seawater intrusion from exploitation of groundwater in this area.

Authors

Categories