We asked climate scientist Dr Peter Johnston,futurologist Clem Sunter, and City of Cape Town Mayco member Xanthea Limberg for their takes on the water crisis in the Western Cape.
IS DESALINATION VIABLE FOR CAPE TOWN?
Dr Peter Johnston
Desalination is magic. You take seawater, pump it into the machine and magically get fresh water. It’s what we call a black box. It’s a process of reverse osmosis: the salt is taken out, leaving you with pure water.
But you first have to get a dam full of water. Our empty dams are nowhere near the sea, so if we want to put seawater in those dams, we have to pump it uphill. This would use a lot of electricity, so cost becomes significant.
Because of the volumes of water we’re talking about, it’s a huge job to integrate desalination with the existing dams.
For the next 10 years, we have enough capacity in the dams. So if it rains normally, we won’t need desalination. If we instal a desalination plant, we must use it. If the plant is not used, people will ask, ‘Why did you waste money building the plant?’
Desalination is a really good option for us if we do it in small quantities. So new suburbs located near the coast could be connected to a small desalination plant that will produce enough for that area. Unfortunately, there isn’t really space for a new suburb near the coast, unless you go up the West Coast. It’s very dry anyway, so it’s ideal to use desalination plants – in fact, they’ve already done so. To construct a desalination plant for the whole of Cape Town is silly. It would cost billions and it’s not going to be needed.
Clem Sunter
Desalination is used in the Middle East and Australia to make up for the shortfall of water caused by lower average rainfall, which is mainly due to climate change. Both Perth and Adelaide have desalination plants.
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Easter with edge
Grant knows what it's like to miss out on the celebrations that anchor family life.
The MALE bias
Historically, medical studies were mainly done on male mice and on men; and then extrapolated to treat women, as if a female body were just a smaller version of a male one. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense, and how to work with your body’s natural rhythm for better health.
Wellbeing
How to sleep better, feel better and look better!
The other type of CHEATING
Lies about money can have devastating consequences in a relationship.
THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES
oe r Despite many highly Hs hazardous pesticides being banned in their countries of origin, 192 of them are still legally exported to South Africa
START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer
There's nothing quite like a South African entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, they innovate and persevere. But what fuels that determination? We chatted to some self-starters to find out.
How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY
It's easy to get complacent in a long-term relationship. Before you know it, your partner is little more than your roommate. Here's how to shake things up.
SUPER TROUPER
At one point, Josie Borain was the most famous model in the world. Her face was on every magazine that mattered. And in the madness of all that attention, she never lost her sense of self. She talks to us about turning 60, being single, and starting her third act with a move to the platteland.
Little wonder
Over the years we have visited 16 Greek islands, but when we first set foot on Halki, the little-known gem just south of Rhodes, we knew we'd found the closest thing to the perfect one. And we vowed to return. Often.
HOME AFFAIRS
These three entrepreneurs are redefining the heartbeat of homes through their unique blend of creativity, sustainability and purposeful design.
