Water Wheel Jan/Feb 2025: Water Source

Abstract

Water factories: The intrinsic value of a critical resource in water-scarce cities Water resources are becoming increasingly limited due to a changing climate and increasing population, causing a worldwide decline in water quality, equity and availability. Many water custodians and resource managers recognise the need to improve and provide clean water and sanitation to achieve one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Surface water – Strategic water source areas (SW-SWSA’s) represent only 10% of the country’s land surface area of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini but generate 50 % of the region’s surface water runoff. Groundwater-strategic water source areas (GW-SWSA’s) represent 9% of the land surface in South Africa and generate up to 42% of the baseflow in their areas, performing an important role in the dry season through maintaining surface water flows. Most SWSAs occur in mountain catchments, such as Table Mountain National Park, but others occur as groundwater, such as the Cape Flats Aquifer (see map on this page).

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