P WMA 01/000/00/02914/11A Limpopo Water Management Area North Reconciliation Strategy DRAFT RECONCILIATION STRATEGY Limpopo Water Management Area North Reconciliation Strategy i Project Name: Limpopo Water Management Area North Reconciliation Strategy Report Title: Draft Reconciliation Strategy Authors: J Lombaard DWS Report No.: P WMA 01/000/00/02914/11A DWSContract No. WP 10768 PSP Project Reference No.: 60326619 Status of Report: Draft Date: September 2016 CONSULTANTS: AECOM in association with Hydrosol, Jones & Wagener and VSA Rebotile Metsi Consulting. Approved for AECOM: FGB de Jager JD Rossouw Task Leader Study Leader DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION (DWS): Directorate: National Water Resources Planning Approved for DWS: Reviewed: Dr BL Mwaka T Nditwani Director: Water Resources Planning Acting Director: National Water Resource Systems Planning Prepared by: AECOM SA (Pty) Ltd PO Box 3173 Pretoria 0001 In association with: Hydrosol Consulting Jones & Wagener VSA Rebotile Metsi Consulting P WMA 01/000/02914/11A - Draft Reconciliation Strategy Report Draft Limpopo Water Management Area North Reconciliation Strategy ii Limpopo Water Management Area North Reconciliation Strategy Date: September 2016 Phase 1: Study planning and Process PWMA 01/000/00/02914/1 Initiation Inception Report Phase 2: Study Implementation PWMA 01/000/00/02914/2 Literature Review PWMA 01/000/00/02914/3/1 PWMA 01/000/00/02914/3 Supporting Document 1: Hydrological Analysis Rainfall Data Analysis PWMA 01/000/00/02914/4/1 PWMA 01/000/00/02914/4 Supporting Document 1: Water Requirements and Return Flows Irrigation Assessment PWMA 01/000/00/02914/5 PWMA 01/000/00/02914/4/2 Water Quality Assessment Supporting Document 2: Water Conservation and Water Demand PWMA 01/000/00/02914/6 Management (WCWDM) Status Groundwater Assessment and Utilisation PWMA 01/000/00/02914/4/3 Supporting Document 3: PWMA 01/000/00/02914/7 Socio-Economic Perspective on Water Yield analysis (WRYM) Requirements PWMA 01/000/00/02914/8 PWMA 01/000/00/02914/7/1 Water Quality Modelling Supporting Document 1: Reserve Requirement Scenarios PWMA 01/000/00/02914/9 Planning Analysis (WRPM) PWMA 01/000/00/02914/10/1 PWMA 01/000/00/02914/10 Supporting Document 1: Water Supply Schemes Opportunities for Water Reuse PWMA 01/000/00/02914/11A PWMA 01/000/00/02914/10/2 Draft Reconciliation Strategy Supporting Document 2: Environmental and Social Status Quo PWMA 01/000/00/02914/11B (included in the Reconciliation Strategy Report) Final Reconciliation Strategy PWMA 01/000/00/02914/10/3 PWMA 01/000/00/02914/12 Supporting Document 3: International Obligations Screening Workshop Starter Document PWMA 01/000/00/02914/13 Training Report P WMA 01/000/00/02914/14 Phase 3: Study Termination Close-out Report P WMA 01/000/02914/11A - Draft Reconciliation Strategy Report Draft TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Appointment of professional service provider (PSP) .................................... 1-1 1.2 Background to the project ............................................................................... 1-1 1.3 Study area ......................................................................................................... 1-3 1.3.1 Matlabas catchment (A41) ...................................................................... 1-8 1.3.2 Mokolo catchment (A42) ......................................................................... 1-8 1.3.3 Lephalala catchment (A50) ..................................................................... 1-8 1.3.4 Mogalakwena River (A61 to A63) ............................................................ 1-8 1.3.5 Sand catchment (A71) ............................................................................ 1-8 1.3.6 Nzhelele catchment (A80A to A80J) ........................................................ 1-9 1.4 Main objectives of the study ............................................................................ 1-9 1.5 Scope of this report .......................................................................................... 1-9 2 CURRENT AND PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 2-1 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Irrigation water requirements .......................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Domestic water requirements.......................................................................... 2-3 2.4 Industrial and mining water requirements ...................................................... 2-4 2.5 Other users ....................................................................................................... 2-6 2.5.1 Livestock watering................................................................................... 2-6 2.5.2 Invasive Alien Plants (IAP) ...................................................................... 2-6 2.5.3 Afforestation ............................................................................................ 2-7 2.5.4 Ecological water requirements ................................................................ 2-7 2.6 Total water requirements ................................................................................. 2-8 3 WATER QUALITY ........................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Catchment water quality status ....................................................................... 3-1 3.2.1 Matlabas catchment ................................................................................ 3-1 3.2.2 Mokolo catchment ................................................................................... 3-1 3.2.3 Lephalala catchment ............................................................................... 3-2 3.2.4 Mogalakwena catchment......................................................................... 3-2 3.2.5 Sand catchment ...................................................................................... 3-3 3.2.6 Nzhelele catchment ................................................................................. 3-3 3.3 Possible pollutants ........................................................................................... 3-3 3.4 Surface water quality assessment .................................................................. 3-4 3.5 Groundwater quality ......................................................................................... 3-9 3.6 Summary of findings and recommendations ................................................. 3-9 P WMA 01/000/02914/11A - Draft Reconciliation Strategy Report Draft 4 WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY ................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Surface water .................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Large dams ............................................................................................. 4-1 4.1.2 Diffuse water availability .......................................................................... 4-5 4.1.3 Transfers into the study area ................................................................... 4-6 4.2 Groundwater ..................................................................................................... 4-8 4.2.1 Geology and geohydrology ..................................................................... 4-8 4.2.2 Groundwater recharge, potential and utilisation ...................................... 4-9 4.2.3 Management of groundwater ................................................................ 4-15 4.3 Return flows .................................................................................................... 4-15 4.3.1 Domestic return flows ............................................................................ 4-15 4.3.2 Irrigation return flow volumes ................................................................ 4-18 5 WATER BALANCE .......................................................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Current water balance with no interventions ................................................. 5-1 5.2 Future water balance with no interventions ................................................... 5-4 5.2.1 Matlabas catchment ................................................................................ 5-4 5.2.2 Mokolo catchment ................................................................................... 5-5 5.2.3 Lephalala catchment ............................................................................... 5-6 5.2.4 Mogalakwena catchment......................................................................... 5-7 5.2.5 Sand catchment .................................................................................... 5-11 5.2.6 Nzhelele catchment ............................................................................... 5-16 5.3 Surpluses and shortfalls ................................................................................ 5-19 6 POSSIBLE INTERVENTION OPTIONS ................................................................................. 6-1 6.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................