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Water Crisis in the Cape

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Water Crisis in the Cape Water Crisis in the Cape UNDERSTANDING THE CATASTROPHIC DROUGHT AFFECTING CAPE TOWN AND THE LESSER IMPACT UPON FRANSCHHOEK La Clé des Montagnes relies on our own borehole at the private villas and has usage rights to the mountain water run- off (leiwater) at La Clé Country Lodge which is channelled through the streets of the village. We store this natural supply of water in dams on the property which we use to run the farms and service our accommodation offering. As a result, we rely on a very small percentage of municipal water and are working on projects to go totally off grid. The small amount of municipal water upon which we do rely comes from the Stellenbosch Municipality in the Cape Winelands which has increased efforts to become independent from the immensely strained City of Cape Town water supply chain. The Mayor of Stellenbosch, Gesie Van Deventer, explains: “As we continue to connect boreholes to our main water supply system, our water dependence on the City of Cape Town will decrease significantly. By the end of March, we will take Klapmuts, Franschhoek, Dwarsrivier and Wemmershoek off the system. It will be connected to our own additional system of water.” The drought affecting the cape of South Africa has attained international news coverage with the crisis set to become one of the worst natural disasters seen in South Africa for decades. We are extremely fortunate in the Franschhoek Valley to have the natural water run-off of the mountains surrounding the village on 3 sides as well as excellent catchment areas and abundant boreholes meaning we are less affected than other areas. This said, we kindly ask for small modifications in the daily routines of our guests to assist us in conserving our precious water resources. The facts… o DAY ZERO is approaching. This means: municipal water taps will be turned off in some areas reliant on the City of Cape Town municipal supply chain and collection points will be mandated throughout the city to allow those residents to collect their water allocation of 25 litres per person per day. o Day Zero will have a lesser effect in the Franschhoek Valley and Stellenbosch areas as we aim to be off the affected supply chain by the end of March 2018 and rely on separate water resources (including our own borehole and leiwater at La Clé des Montagnes). How can visitors to the Cape help? o Reduce daily water usage through small adjustments to your routine: turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, flushing as needed, taking shorter showers and avoiding bathing, reporting leaks, drips or water misuse to reception (here or elsewhere) so it can be addressed and turning off the taps when running water isn’t needed. Waterless hand sanitiser is available. o Understand that towels and linen will be refreshed upon request only and swimming pools may not be topped up at all times. o Remain mindful in each action that you are taking steps to reduce water consumption. LA CLÉ DES MONTAGNES • FRANSCHHOEK • SOUTH AFRICA T: +27 21 876 4833| F: +27 21 876 4602 | [email protected] | www.lacle.co.za .
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