Western Cape IWRM Action Plan: Status Quo Report Final Draft · Western Cape IWRM Action Plan: Status Quo Report Final Draft Status Quo Report © DEADP 314 Figure 12.1.2 Land use

Western Cape IWRM Action Plan: Status Quo Report Final Draft

Status Quo Report © DEADP 312

12. LAND USE

All land use has some impact on water resources, either through water use, such as irrigation or water

consumption in urban areas, or by discharge or runoff. It is beneficial to determine whether there is a

water balance between water that is used and water that is returned, and where poor quality water is

returned, are the benefits worth the cost.

The Provincial Spatial Development Strategy has reviewed land use in extensive detail and has a

fairly strong water focus. It is not the purpose to reconstitute the PSDF here. However, there are some

critical land use activities to be commented on. Figure 12.1.1 to Figure 12.1.4 indicate these key

landuses in each of the Water Management Areas of the Province.

12.1 INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS

A detrimental effect of backyarders is that they inadvertently contribute towards pollution via the

impact on stormwater. These are often the poorest of people who reside on the property of their

landlord and construct a dwelling on the property. Very often the backyarders have no direct access

to electricity, water and sanitation services. Due to this lack of access to services, a common practice

is to deposit waste and contaminated water into rivers and stormwater drainage, thereby posing a

threat of contamination of the receiving water sources. This problem appears to be a failry common

one in most informal settlements across the Western Cape.

According to the City Report regarding the state of informal settlements, it was found that in some

settlements namely Joe Slovo, Nonqubela and Sweet Home, drainage was found to be poor.

(http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/stats/CityReports/Documents/Informal%20Settlements/Main_Report_

2722006113759_359.pdf )This often results in the flooding of dwellings during severe winter months

and has resulted in contamination of some standpipe areas, which poses a serious health risk to water

users reliant on that source of supply.

In those informal settlements where drainage is poor and where sanitation services are also

inadequate, pollution follows as a result. In addition, it becomes difficult to service infrastructure

where informal dwellings have been constructed above access points to sewer lines. This is the case

in parts of Khayalitsha for example. The informal settlement in Stanford has also been identified as

one with inadequate sanitation facilities.

In terms of solid waste management, it has been reported that many informal settlements do not

receive weekly waste collections. In the absence of this service, the common practice (and

sometimes only option for these people) is to create informal waste dumps which ultimately cost the

relevant municipality more money in terms of collection. Alternatively dumping occurs along and

within nearby watercourses.

In the absence of adequate drainage, grey water becomes routed into the stormwater drainage

system thereby posing a risk of contamination. Duringh high runoff periods, the stormwater flows into

the rivers and contaminates the water. Natural dilution is not always sufficient to dilute this pollutant

load and the polluted water then poses a risk to crop irrigation and a health risk to those making direct

use of the river water (for washing of clothes and other domestic chores). If consumption of this

polluted water takes place (either directly or indirectly), the risk of disease is increased.

http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/stats/CityReports/Documents/Informal%20Settlements/Main_Report_2722006113759_359.pdf

http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/stats/CityReports/Documents/Informal%20Settlements/Main_Report_2722006113759_359.pdf



Figure 12.1.1 Landuse within the Berg River WMA



Figure 12.1.2 Land use within the Olifants-Doorn WMA.



Figure 12.1.3 Land use in the Breede-Overberg WMA.



Figure 12.1.4 Land use within the Gouritz WMA.



12.2 MINING

When compared with other provinces the Western Cape is not a “mining” region and only water

consumption by this sector in this province is very small. There are in fact only three mines where

water is used their processes in the Western Cape. These mines are:

Trans Hex Diamonds, on the West Coast. uses 480 m3/day of sea water in open circuit. Of

this 434 m3 is returned to the sea after going through settlement and testing. (no chemicals

are added). The operations run for an average of 10 days per month, 9 hours per day and this

equates to a 43 200m3/month used, versus 39 000 m

3/month that is pumped back into the

sea. Trans Hex also use 200l/day of fresh water on their diamond sorter plant which is only

18 000 l/month.

Namakwa Sands – Fresh Water usage = 2 million m3/annum sourced from the lower Olifants

River. They also use sea water in a semi closed circuit for their tailings placement.

Maskam Gypsum (Vanrhynsdorp) – uses borehole water at a rate of about 200l/hour in their

washing process. This equates to only 76,8 m3/month. They also use 220 l/hour re-circulated

water from their tailings dam.

The only other mining operations of any notable size located in the Western Cape are the two PPC

cement operations in Riebeeck West and Piketberg. PPC is currently in the process of obtaining a

water licence for these sites.

Other small operational mines in the Western Cape:

Diamonds – 6 (small beach operations with their production being processed at the Trans

Hex site)

Gypsum - 3

Lime stone – 11. These are mostly for agricultural lime. Bridgetown Quarry (Moorreesburg)

use water to wash the product, and source their water from the Berg River at a consumption

of 9 kl/month

Salt – 4 operations use boreholes to source brine.

Miscellaneous – 5. Included in these mines are Namakwa Sands and Cape Bentonite

(Heidelberg)

Sand and Gravel – 74. Two of these operations use water in a semi closed circuit. They use

groundwater from the Cape Flats Aquifer. Atlantic Sands in Atlantis also makes use of

groundwater.

Clay – 42

Stone – 35

Oil offshore – 4

The total number of “mining operations” is therefore about 200 but these are all very insignificant in

terms of their consumptive use of water.



12.2.1 Problem Areas

12.2.1.1 Illegal mining activities

Due to the demand in the construction sector, illegal sand mining has become a major problem.

Unregulated sand mining activities have an impact on the environment in general, but in particular to

the water resources on and around the illegal sites. DWA has indivcated that in the Olifants-Doorn

WMA for example, sand mining of river beds in non-perenial rivers (Vanrhynsdorp area) is a problem.

12.2.1.2 Acid Mine Drainage

Currently the DMR has no strategies or guidelines with regards to Acid Mine Drainage in the Western

Cape region. The focus is on the Witwatersrand Goldfields basins because of problems related to

acid mine drainage. The Department is embarking on a research programme aimed at providing

solutions towards the actual management of mine water as well as mine closure issues. Although

recognized as a serious problem in the Witwatersrand gold mining areas for example, this is not the

case in the Western Cape. However a close watch on the situation is necessary to avoid a reactive

approach of addressing possible issues that may at some stage impact on this Province, depending

on the future growth in this sector. The inability to obtain mining development plans from DMR for the

Western Cape is a gap in the information available for use in this IWRM Plan.

12.2.1.3 Mining and soil conservation

Mining and beneficiation of heavy minerals takes place along the west coast (at three separate sites).

The mines and the concentration plants are located at Brand-se-Baai, 385km north of Cape Town.

Concentrate is transported to the mineral separation plant by truck. The mineral separation plant is

located at Koeknaap, 60km from the mine, where ilmenite, zircon and rutile are recovered before the

products are transported to the smelter by rail. The smelter is based close to Saldanha Bay. Titanium

is the primary product of the mineral sands industry where it is mined in the form of ilmenite and rutile

(Ref http://www.exxaro.com/content/ops/sands_namaqua_sands.asp)

Where heavy metals are mined these are concentrated high in the top layers of the soil. Therefore

proper topsoil management and conservation is a critical factor. Any mismanagement of top soil will

lead to loss of soils due to runoff, which in turn leads to the deposition of sediment in water resources

downstream of the mining sites. Further, the loss of topsoil hampers rehabilitation efforts after mining,

leading to further loss of soils and erosion impacts. Therefore the proper stockpiling and management

of topsoil is essential.

12.3 FORESTRY

In this province, forestry accounts for a small portion of the provincial economic landuse.

Approximately 88 000 ha of forests, predominately commercial in nature, are spread within the various

WMAs. According to the Berg, Breede, Gouritz and Olifants-Doorn ISPs (2005) an estimated

reduction of 28 million m3/a of water is estimated, due to forestry activities. Across the province there

are numerous small commercial plantations located mainly in the mountainous regions where areas of

higher precipitation (>800mm) occur. Baad on the ISPs, the largest plantation is situated within the

Palmiet catchment in the western Overberg region of the Breede WMA and has an approximate area

of 3 300 ha.

Within the various WMAs, the decommissioning of commercial forestry will result in areas of State

owned land becoming available for alternative landuse purposes. One option for the use of the

decommissioned areas could be to possibly make use of the land for the establishment of resource

poor farmers, where the land in question is suitable for cultivation, where there is a need for it, and

where access to water is made possible.



In terms of the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act (Act No 31 of 1996), land to which

people have informal right is nominally held in trust by the Minister of Land Affairs. This includes

communally owned land (see Section 1(1)(iii) of the Act), and implies that land development decisions

on such land require the consent of the Minister of Land Affairs, as the nominal owner. However, in

terms of the Interim Procedures released by the Department of Land Affairs (DLA) in December 1997,

decisions pertaining to ownership rights on communally owned land are most appropriately made by

the majority of the community members. The Minister‟s role is simply to ratify such community

resolutions. The Minister of Land Affairs and the relevant community are therefore regarded as co-

owners of communal land.

This situation will change in the near future once the Communal Land Rights Act (CLARA) (Act No 11

of 2004) is implemented. In terms of CLARA, formal land ownership rights will be transferred from the

Minister of Land Affairs to communities who currently have only informal rights to land.

12.3.1 Concerns relating to landuse change

The following issues have been identified in relation to landuse change:

1. For each proposed change in land-use, a site-specific investigation is required, which is time

consuming.

2. The core principle is that there should be no negative impact on other downstream users.

3. Where existing lawful users are decommissioning forestry operations and felling plantations in

the Western Cape, this forestry is on State Land and the proposed future use of this land is

still uncertain.

4. Soil suitability and access to water will influence the possible establishment of resource poor

farmers on accessible areas of land that are currently under plantations.

12.4 AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is the largest land use in the Province. Table 12.4.1 shows the percentage of land in the

province per land use type. Approximately 2.5 million ha are under cultivation of which about

270 000ha are under irrigation. Croplands have decreased in the Karoo region but increased in the

western districts. The relative percentage of vineyards has increased in the Southern Cape and along

the West Coast (DEADP, 2004). The limiting factor to agricultural expansion is water availability.

While different soil types are suitable for differing crops cognisance must be taken of the need for

appropriate crop selection, which can have a substantial influence on water requirements and the

sustaibaility thereof. For example, the sandy soils of the Sandveld on the west coast are not suitable

for most crops, but are highly suited to seed potato farming. However, the West Coast is a low rainfall

area, and irrigation of these potato crops is heavily reliant on groundwater. These crops also rely

heavily on pesticides and fertilisers, which can contaminate the runoff into the freshwater resources in

the area.

Table 12.4.1 Percentage of land in the province used per land use.

Land Use % of land in the

Province

Animal production, including dairy, cattle, sheep and ostriches on natural veld, also

planted pastures used for grazing animals, and commercial wildlife ventures

43%

Croplands (including fallow land less than 10 years old) for wheat, barely, citrus,

deciduous fruit, viticulture, vegetables and indigenous crops e.g. rooibos tea and

wild flowers

36%

Settlements and infrastructure 13%



Land Use % of land in the

Province

Commercial forests, protected areas, or other land use types, e.g. mining. 8%

12.4.1 Problem Areas

12.4.1.1 Water availability

A significant limiting factor to agricultural expansion is the availability of water. Where surface water is

scarce, heavy pressure is placed on groundwater reserves for irrigation. These groundwater reserves

must be pro-actively managed and ensure that recharge exceeds abstraction in order to ensure the

sustainable utilisation of the resource. As agricultural potential can only be fully realised based on the

available water for irrigation, approprioate crop selection must play a critical role in agricultural

planning, in conjunction with water availability and soil suitability.

12.4.1.2 Water quality

Water quality has a significant impact on suitability for irrigation. This has been highlighted in the

WMA chapters of this report where natural geology, agricultural activities, and effluent standards are

impacting on the water resources of the region. Continued water quality monitoring, with particular

focus on potential hot-spots, and a collaboration of information between the various monitoring

institutions is recommended.

12.4.1.3 Water efficiency

Water efficiency in the agricultural sector is not only limited to the conveyance of water to agricultural

land, but also includes irrigation types, crop suitability, irrigation scheduling, etc. WCDM opportunities

within the agricultural sector (and case studies in this Province) have been discussed in the WCDM

section of this report.

12.5 CONSERVATION AND BIODIVERSITY

12.5.1 Protected Areas

Protected Areas include Provincial Nature Reserves, National Parks and Municipal Nature Reserves.

In general conservation and protected areas have limited impacts on water resources, and where

impacts occur are identified for rehabilitation.

12.5.2 NFEPA

The National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas project has identified the Present Ecological State

category A and B quaternary catchments in each WMA as priority areas for conservation measures.

Further, the upstream quaternary catchment has also been identified as second order priority areas in

order to prevent downstream impacts on the priority sites. Figure 12.5.1 to Figure 12.5.4 indicate the

WWTWs, waste sites and pollution sources per quaternary catchment per WMA, over laid with the

NFEPA priority areas, in order to spatially illustrate particular quaternary catchments for targeting

conservation activities.

WWTWs and discharge points that will have an impact on a NFEPA site have been identified in Table

12.5.1.



Table 12.5.1 Priority WWTWs in terms of impact to NFEPA sites.

WMA BERG OLIFANTS-DOORN BREEDE-

OVERBERG

GOURITZ

WWTWs or

Discharge point

Riebeeck Kasteel

Porterville

Darling

Malmesbury

Potsdam

Clan William

Citrusdal

Swellendam

Bredasdorp

Kleinmond

Worcester

De Doorns

Prince Albert

Oudtshoorn

Mossel Bay

Riversdale

Touwsrivier

Laingsburg



Figure 12.5.1 WWTWs and discharge points together with the NFEPA priority quaternary catchments of the Berg WMA.



Figure 12.5.2 WWTWs and discharge points together with the NFEPA priority quaternary catchments of the Olifants-Doorn WMA.



Figure 12.5.3 The WWTWs and waste discharge points together with the NFEPA priority quaternary catchments of the Breede-Overberg WMA.



Figure 12.5.4 WWTWs and discharge points together the NFEPA priority quaternary catchments of the Gouritz WMA.


12.6 INVASIVE AND ALIEN PLANTS

Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) are known to use significant volumes of water in correlation to the plants

biomass. Water use by invasive plants must be seen as that water over and above that which would

be used by the natural vegetation it has replaced. It is also necessary to consider the impact on

available resources – in other words the reduction in flow which would otherwise be available to other

users (notably the environment or as storage in dams).

IAPs covers an area of approximately 171 700 ha (1 717 km2) across the Western Cape. Based on

the findings of the ISPs (2005) approximately 100 million m3/a of water is reduced from the annual

yield due to invasive alien plants in the province. Invasive alien plants occur mainly in the riparian

zones with the WMAs. Infestations of the alien plants are not always heavy, but in mountainous terrain

they are costly to clear. Invasive alien plant infestations should be systematically removed to limit

future impacts. Through eradication the base flows of rivers would beneficially increase, which in effect

could augment a portion of the water demand, where clearing takes place upstyream of exisiting

dams. However, a key benefit would be that targeted clearing can significantly assist in the provision

of water towards meeting the ecological flow requirements of the rivers and estuaries. In so doing this

is one way of providing towards the Reserve whilst limiting the impact on current water availability

from exisiing sources of supply. Among the top genera of invasive plants are Black Wattle, Acacias,

Pines, Syringa, Eucalyptus and Prosopis.

Targetted removal of invasive alien plants and maintenance of cleared areas should be a leading

priority so that further spread can be prevented. In addition to benefitting bio-diversity in the Province,

and benefitting the water resources, the removal of alien vegetation is having other site-specific

benefits, such as job creation.

The removal of invasive alien vegetation is governed in terms of the National Water Act (NWA), Act 36

of 1998 under Chapter 4, Part 4 and the National Water Resource Strategy under Chapter 3, Part 3.

Clearing IAP is also an important water conservation and demand management strategy. The primary

strategy is that “prevention is better than cure” and the aim should be to control further infestations

through restriction of new sources such as new forestry plantations for example. Remote, scattered

and outlying invasive plants could also be cleared.

The Breede and Gouritz WMA are identified as the worst affected areas in the Western Cape. Priority

areas include the upper reaches of the Riviersonderend and Upper Breede sub-areas in the Breede

WMA and the Goukou and Duiwenhoks catchments in the Gouritz WMA. Finally, impacts need to be

assessed through monitoring – both the mapping of the extent of invasions, and actual benefits to the

resource experienced through clearing. Some small farmers have taken to clearing their own

catchments and the publication of their „success stories‟ could encourage other farmers in the each

WMA to take responsibility.

Problems identified in the ISP‟s in relation to clearing of Invasive Alien Plants include the following:

1. Maps are not up to date, which affect the effective monitoring of the alien invasive problem.

2. The alien invasive vegetation is not of any economic value to the Western Cape Province and

is therefore using up unnecessary resources such as land space and water.

3. The estimates of the actual extent of invasive alien plants in the Western Cape Province, and

the impact on water resources need to be improved. Estimates should include species,

location (key area, and position in the landscape), and density.

4. Catchment management charges may not necessarily prioritise or consider alien invasive

clearing as important.

http://www.dwaf.gov.za/documents/policies/NWRS/default.htm


5. The removal of blue-gums (Category 2 IAP) in the Berg WMA is not desirable for bee keepers,

affecting both the production of honey and the maintenance of hives necessary for fruit tree

pollination.

6. The impact of invasive vegetation on primary aquifers has not been determined.

12.7 GAP SYNTHESIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

12.7.1 CHANGING LAND USE

The shift in focus area for forestry will result in the closing of various existing commercial forestry

areas. This land should be returned to fynbos, however, as the “exited” land will be disturbed it will be

susceptible to urban development, which negatively impact on water resources in the area, as well

impact on the environment, e.g. increased run-off from harden surfaces. The possible use of portions

of exited land for establishment of emerging farmers is an option but must other criteria must be met

for this to sustainable, namely:

Is there a need / interest by potential emerging farmers in the specific area ?

Are the soils and slopes suitable for sustainable cultivation?

Is there water available to support such intitiative?

12.7.2 COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE

In order to effectively manage land use within the province and the various impacts of the different

types of landuse (not only impacts relating to water resources) requires a cooperative apaproach, both

on the development of management strategies, but also in terms of issuing of authorisations,

montiroing and enforcement.

12.7.3 PLANNING

Using the land use cover and NFEPA priorities, it is easy to identify particular areas where land use

activities will have impacts on the conservation value of particular quaternary catchments, e.g. location

of informal settlements in relation to NFEPAs. This type of spatial overlay information should be used

to plan for future LandCare works and other proactive and mitigatory projects so as to mitigate impacts

of land use activities within particularly sensitive quaternary catchments. For example such mitigation

may include limits on fertilisers and pesticides and focussing Adopt-a-River iniatives in those particular

catchments.

12.7.4 PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT

The WWTWS and discharge points identified in Table 12.5.1 should be monitored proactively and

more than minimum mitigatory measures implemented, in order to protect or improve the ecological

status of the downstream water resources.