The objective of this task is to collate and review information that has become available from the previous study and to confirm the scope and programme for this study. An Inception Report was compiled and is available under Reports and Documents.
This task will focus on the updating, refining, and reviewing the population and growth modelling undertaken previously for the Continuation of Water Requirements and Availability Reconciliation Strategy for Mbombela Municipal Area Study (DWA, 2014). The Demographic Analysis will focus on the Mbombela Local Municipality (LM), Barberton as well as the Bushbuck ridge Area. The objective of this task is to determine, update, and refine the existing and possible future size and distribution of the population for high and realistic scenarios
The current and future water requirements for the different water use sectors will be determined as part of this task. These sectors include urban and industrial, irrigation and afforestation, invasive alien plants, Ecological Water Requirements (the Reserve) and international obligations. Updated projections based on latest water use and revised demographic projections will be derived for Mbombela LM, Barberton and Bushbuck ridge LM and the latest information available will be confirmed for the remaining study area and other water use sectors. The information gathered as part of this task will inform the Water Resource Analysis (Task 6) which in turn will assist in the development of a decision support system.
The objective of this task is to review the status quo of WC/WDM in the respective water supply systems. The review will include the update of each system’s water resource and water loss balance diagram, assess the progress made with the implementation of existing WC/WDM strategies, business plans and review the savings achieved to date. The water supply systems in the Mbombela and Bushbuck ridge Local Municipalities will be covered. An updated WC/WDM plan will be delivered from this task.
This task will review and make recommendations for the expansion of both the municipal monitoring network and the water resource monitoring network. The status of recommendations made in the 2014 Reconciliation Strategy with regards to the municipal monitoring network will be confirmed and recommendations for any additional areas identified for expansion will be made as part of this task. The current status of the Inkomati Usuthu Catchment Management Agency (IUCMA’s) real time monitoring network and web-based data acquisition system will be confirmed and recommendations regarding the expansion of this system will be made for their water resource monitoring network.
The water resources of the catchments in the study area have been assessed in detail as part of several other studies, such as the Inkomati Water Availability Assessment Study (2011), Mbombela Reconciliation Study (2014), the Determination of the Water Resources Classes (Classification Study) and the Determination of the Resource Quality Objectives (2015). The purpose of this task is to use the information and decision support systems of past investigations as the starting point for the water resource analysis. New information produced as part of this study, e.g. updated water requirements together with the existing information will be combined into the DWS standardized decision support system which consists of the Water Resources Yield Model (WRYM) and Water Resources Planning Model (WRPM). The updated and consolidated decision support system will then be applied to analyse scenarios which will inform decisions required for the updating of the Reconciliation Strategy process as part of Task 9. Scenarios will be developed to meet water requirements for current and future use, including optimisation of local resources, improved water services and water resource management.
Infrastructure such as the Matsulu Abstraction Works where the weir runs short of water as a result of operations at the Kaapmuiden diversion weir and canal will be investigated and solutions will be presented. The cost of all proposed interventions, infrastructure works and developments will be calculated and updated, if and where required.
The updated information and outcomes of the study tasks will be used to formulate alternative reconciliations scenarios, which will consist of a sequence of interventions that can be implemented to reconcile the water requirements with the water resources up to 2040. An updated 2020 Reconciliation Strategy for the study area will be the main deliverable of this task.
The objective of this task is to provide technical support to any additional ad hoc investigations that may be required during this study in support of the updating of the strategy.
The objective of this task will be to:
- Capacitate DWS staff (focusing on graduate trainees) in the operations and use of the systems models used to produce elements of the Reconciliation Strategies;
- Capacitate team members in specialist aspects specifically relating to the various catchment areas;
- Transfer knowledge and background information to stakeholders such that they can better understand the approach to determining the Water Reconciliation Strategy (StraSC Meetings).
The purpose of this task is to provide stakeholders with meaningful information to assist them in providing useful contributions to the updating of the strategy and its implementation.