WATER the driver of nature Leonardo da Vinci
This summer, 2015-2016, South Africa has been seized by DROUGHT. Farmers, those important people, have suffered hugely. Strict water restrictions are in place and private gardens can no longer be pampered to look attractive
If one needs a refreshing drink of water one turns on a tap and the glass is filled. A simple exercise but, now, under these conditions, are we are aware , in Cape Town, how far the water must travel to fill a glass or kettle? The answer could well be, piped from the Steenbras Reservoir, off Sir Lowry’s Pass in what is called an “integrated bulk water supply system.” The river that supplies the water rises in the Hottentots Holland Mountains. But some of the water could come from local feeder reservoirs. It could be asked where did Cape Town and suburbs get its water before the original Steenbras was built in 1921, extended in 1928 and again in 1954?
As the population of Cape Town and suburbs increased and with it the demand for clean water a decision was taken to build reservoirs on the back table of Table Mountain – the water coming from small streams. In fact the water from these small streams was a definite attraction for the settlement in 1652. Earlier explorers passed on the fact that water was available there. Anyway in time the back table of the mountain proved a good water catchment area and it was there that the the Woodhead, Hely Hutchinson, Victoria, Alexandra and the De Villiers reservoirs were built. There are also the Newlands and the Wynberg reservoirs to assist the growing population of the Cape Peninsula.
Woodhead Reservoir
Table Mountain
Woodhead’s water flows from the Hely Hutchinson reservoir which is then led through two tunnels to the filtration plant above Kloof Nek. That water goes to parts of the city and to Camps Bay.
The De Villiers reservoir receives water from the Alexandra and Victoria reservoirs and from that point water flows to the Constantia Nek reservoir and eventually to households in Constantia and Hout Bay. Constantia Nek is built of prestressed concrete and came into use in 1953. Water also comes from Wynberg to top up reserves when needed.
Wynberg saw the construction of a reservoir in 1897 – this is the one one sees from above the M3 highway. Another was built in 1949 on the other side of the same highway. Then in c 1972 the Monterey reservoir was built with a capacity of 29 million litres.
Newlands has two reservoirs. The oldest has a history that goes back to 1905 and the other one – a roofed reservoir- is more modern and dates to 1950.
It is not difficult to view the local reservoirs – one can walk from Constantia Nek to the serenely beautiful back table and see De Villiers, Victoria, Alexandra, Woodhead and Hely Hutchinson reservoirs. As stated above the Wynberg reservoirs are easily viewable and further along from the same road turn off to the Newlands Reservoir, an equally lovely spot. So the answer to the question where does one’s tap water come from – in bulk from the Steenbras and sometimes the Wemmershoek reservoirs, topped up with water from local service reservoirs.
When the well is dry, we know the value of water Benjamin Franklin OR Water is the soul of the earth WH Auden
