Cape Town - Water for a thirsty city (Part 2)

Abstract

Urban water supply By the time the British took permanent occupation of the Cape in 1806, the settlement was experiencing a serious water shortage, and because Dutch company VOC had not wanted to spend too much of its profits on this halfway station, the water supply system had not changed significantly since Van Riebeeck’s time. The solution offered by leading engineer of the day, John Rennie, in 1918, was to build a 250 000 gallon reservoir in what is now Hof Street. This waterhouse was filled with water from the Oranjezicht, Platte klip and Waterhof springs. The structure was demolished in the 1900s. Under the guidance of the appointed water superintendent, John Chrisholm, the first cast-iron pipeline of 12-inch diameter was laid down in Long Street, and branches of small bore were extended to cross the street. Around this time, the Burgher Senate was also empowered to impose and raise a tax necessary to fund the pipes. Chrisholm built several pumps to lift water from underground tanks, filled by mountain springs.

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