Desperate situation sees Swellendam community rally to confront water crisis

“I think everything starts when, due to the low rainfall season we’ve had, we are experiencing a lot of problems or challenges with the water,” said Le Roux van der Merwe, a resident of Swellendam.

For weeks now, several municipalities in the the Western Cape have experienced water crises, with restrictions in place at various levels. In Swellendam, water restrictions are at Level 3, which limits water usage to six kilolitres per household per month.

While sparse rain has increased the town’s water supply, it has not been enough to fill the dams.

Daily Maverick recently visited the area, where residents have banded together to conserve water.

Outside the town, at the Buffeljags Dam, which supplies non-potable irrigation water to nearby farms, the only signs of distress are patches of yellow grass.

But in the town, it’s another story. At the Grootkloof Dam 3, which is the town’s main supplier of drinking water, it is clear that there is a crisis. Hard, cracked mud lines the sides of the dam, which is far from full.

Between 15 and 17 December, the dam level was 46%, and the municipality had enough potable water for just 41 days.

In the town, Daily Maverick stopped at a non-potable water collection point provided by the municipality. Here, a man drove in, parked and siphoned water into a large container. He said it was for his garden.

In another part of Swellendam, Daily Maverick met with Van der Merwe. He and his property agency had been distributing water in the Overberg region, which includes Swellendam.

On Tuesday, 16 December, his company gave about 63 containers of water to residents.

When asked if the six-kilolitre restriction was difficult to manage, he said, “We try to conserve” and to assist others where possible.

In another part of town, Daily Maverick spoke to the Campher family.

“I was born in Swellendam — that river never runs dry. There’s always water in it, and I think it’s more or less the municipality that’s slap [weak],” said Wilhelm Campher.

“The one problem is, we are down to six kilolitres a month. But if you were, say, a family of six, the same six kilolitres is there for you.”

“The one guy that stays on his own, this one guy, he also gets six kilolitres,” said his son Roelof.

During Daily Maverick’s visit, concerns were raised about migration into the town by farm labourers, which could potentially affect infrastructure such as water.

Swellendam’s municipal manager, Anneleen Vorster, said, “Yes, influx in migration is always a concern for any municipality because it puts pressure on our municipal services.”

A new wind farm project had also attracted workers to the area.

“There’s an influx, and it’s very difficult to control an influx,” said Vorster. “That being said, the average use of Railton [a poorer suburb of Swellendam] and the informal settlements for water is less than six kilolitres a month, so your biggest users are not there. Your biggest users are in your CBD.

“Every household has to adhere to the regulations and the restrictions, and that is why we’ve deployed a leak detection team,” she said.

While there are long-term goals such as extracting water from the Breede Valley River and increasing the height of the Buffeljags Dam, in the short term, the municipality plans to drill four or five boreholes.

“We’re hopeful to get some funding from the Department of Local Government,” said Vorster.

She said that when the extent of the water crisis became apparent, the community “really rallied, especially SAPS [South African Police Service] and the hospital, and everyone is doing their part and appreciating the effort that the municipality gives — so that is actually a positive spin for us.

“I’m very proud of how the community rallied around this. I think the changes in the people’s behaviour in terms of water conservation are going to stay.” DM