Water Requirements and Availability Reconciliation Strategy for the Mbombela Municipal Area FINAL FINAL STRATEGY FEBRUARY 2013 WATER REQUIREMENTS AND AVAILABILITY RECONCILIATION STRATEGY FOR THE MBOMBELA MUNICIPAL AREA i FINAL STRATEGY Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT ............................................................................................ 3 1.3 REPORT STRUCTURE ....................................................................................................... 3 2 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY AREA .............................................................................................. 4 2.1 ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARIES OF THE MBOMBELA LOCAL MUNICIPALITY ............ 4 2.2 WATER DEMAND CENTRES ............................................................................................. 6 2.3 WATER SUPPLY INSTITUTIONS ....................................................................................... 8 2.4 OVERLAPPING CATCHMENTS AND WATER RESOURCES ........................................... 9 2.5 THE RESERVE.................................................................................................................. 11 2.6 WATER RESOURCE INFRASTRUCTURE IN OVERLAPPING CATCH-MENTS ............ 11 2.7 IRRIGATION ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.8 STREAM FLOW REDUCTION ACTIVITIES ...................................................................... 14 2.9 INVASIVE ALIEN PLANTS ................................................................................................ 15 2.10 RAIN WATER HARVESTING .................................................................................................... 16 3 CONSIDERATIONS FOR SELECTING THE MOST APPROPRIATE RECONCILIATION OPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 18 3.2 FOUNDING PRINCIPLES ................................................................................................. 18 3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING OF OPTIONS .............................................................. 18 3.4 SELECTION CRITERIA ..................................................................................................... 19 4 BASE POPULATION ESTIMATE AND GROWTH SCENARIOS ................................................ 22 4.1 BASE POPULATION ......................................................................................................... 22 4.2 GROWTH SCENARIOS .................................................................................................... 23 5 RECONCILIATION STRATEGY FOR NELSPRUIT (INCLUDING MATAFFIN, THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND MATUMI GOLF COURSE) ................................................... 26 5.1 POPULATION GROWTH .................................................................................................. 26 5.2 CURRENT WATER USE ................................................................................................... 27 5.3 PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 27 5.4 HIGH AND LOW SCENARIO WATER REQUIREMENT PROJECTIONS ......................... 28 5.5 WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY ................................................................................ 29 5.6 WATER QUALITY.............................................................................................................. 30 5.7 THE WATER BALANCE .................................................................................................... 31 5.8 POSSIBLE INTERVENTION OPTIONS ............................................................................ 33 5.9 ALTERNATIVE AND SELECTED RECONCILIATION SCENARIOS ................................ 40 5.10 RECONCILING THE WATER REQUIREMENTS WITH THE WATER RESOURCE ........ 41 6 WHITE RIVER TOWN (INCLUDING WHITE RIVER COUNTRY ESTATE AND ROCKY DRIFT)44 6.1 POPULATION GROWTH .................................................................................................. 44 6.2 CURRENT WATER USE ................................................................................................... 44 6.3 PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 45 6.4 HIGH AND LOW SCENARIO WATER REQUIREMENT PROJECTIONS ......................... 46 6.5 WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY ................................................................................ 46 6.6 WATER QUALITY.............................................................................................................. 47 6.7 THE WATER BALANCE .................................................................................................... 48 6.8 POSSIBLE INTERVENTION OPTIONS ............................................................................ 49 ii 6.9 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................... 52 6.10 SELECTED RECONCILIATION SCENARIOS .................................................................. 52 7 KARINO/PLASTON CORRIDOR (INCLUDING AREAS IN NSIKAZI SOUTH NOT GETTING WATER FROM KANYAMAZANE, E.G. MAMELODI, TEKWANE NORTH AND EMOYENI)...... 54 7.1 POPULATION GROWTH .................................................................................................. 54 7.2 CURRENT WATER USE ................................................................................................... 55 7.3 PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 55 7.4 HIGH AND LOW SCENARIO WATER REQUIREMENT PROJECTIONS ......................... 56 7.5 WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY ................................................................................ 56 7.6 WATER QUALITY.............................................................................................................. 57 7.7 THE WATER BALANCE .................................................................................................... 58 7.8 POSSIBLE INTERVENTION OPTIONS ............................................................................ 59 7.9 SELECTED RECONCILIATION SCENARIOS .................................................................. 63 7.10 RECONCILING THE WATER REQUIREMENTS WITH THE WATER RESOURCE ........ 64 8 NSIKAZI SOUTH .......................................................................................................................... 66 8.1 POPULATION GROWTH .................................................................................................. 66 8.2 CURRENT WATER USE ................................................................................................... 66 8.3 PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 67 8.4 HIGH AND LOW SCENARIO WATER REQUIREMENT PROJECTIONS ......................... 67 8.5 WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY ................................................................................ 68 8.6 WATER QUALITY.............................................................................................................. 69 8.7 THE WATER BALANCE .................................................................................................... 70 8.8 POSSIBLE INTERVENTION OPTIONS ............................................................................ 71 8.9 SELECTED RECONCILIATION SCENARIOS .................................................................. 76 8.10 RECONCILING THE WATER REQUIREMENTS WITH THE WATER RESOURCE ........ 77 9 MATSULU .................................................................................................................................... 78 9.1 POPULATION GROWTH .................................................................................................. 78 9.2 CURRENT WATER USE ................................................................................................... 78 9.3 PROJECTED FUTURE WATER REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 79 9.4 WATER RESOURCE AVAILABILITY ................................................................................ 79 9.5 WATER QUALITY.............................................................................................................. 80 9.6 THE WATER BALANCE .................................................................................................... 81 9.7 POSSIBLE INTERVENTION OPTIONS ............................................................................ 82 9.8 SELECTED RECONCILIATION SCENARIOS .................................................................. 87 9.9 RECONCILING THE WATER REQUIREMENTS WITH THE WATER RESOURCE ........ 89 9.10 TEMPORARY WATER SHORTAGES AT THE MATSULU ABSTRACTION WORKS ...... 89 10 OTHER WATER DEMAND CENTRES (ELANDSHOEK, NGODWANA, KAAPSCHE HOOP,) . 94 10.1 POPULATION GROWTH .................................................................................................. 94 10.2 CURRENT WATER USE ..................................................................................................