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EMERGENCY WATER SUPPLY FROM LESOTHO HIGHLANDS WATER PROJECT
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL WATER PROJECT SAVES MASERU.
Following an urgent request from the Government of Lesotho on 16 October 2003, senior government and project officials of South Africa agreed to release water from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) into the Caledon River, to supply the critical need of Maseru, capital of Lesotho. The Caledon River, which has ceased to flow due to the lack of summer rainfall, is the main source of water for Maseru.
Without this crucial augmentation from the LHWP, despite stringent water rationing, the current supply of the city would last for another two weeks.
Lesotho requested 1 cubic metre per second to be released from the 'Muela Dam into the Caledon River. (This is in addition to the 17 cubic metres per second that flows normally into the Vaal River system.) The emergency releases will be recorded and monitored by the bi-national Lesotho Highlands Water Commission and the costs will be recovered from Lesotho.
Three Free State towns (Fouriesburg, Ficksburg and Ladybrand) extract water from the Caledon River between the 'Muela Dam and the Maseru pump station. The Free State regional office of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry have informed the towns officially of the releases and will monitor abstraction of water from the river, to ensure that the water releases earmarked for Maseru are not diverted.
Water Affairs official responsible for the LHWP, Willie Croucamp, said, "The (Lesotho Highlands Water) project was designed to be flexible and to meet the water needs of both countries under serious drought conditions. The Treaty (between South Africa and Lesotho) provides for emergency supplies of this nature. We are witnessing one of the major benefits of the project"
Croucamp added that the situation would be reviewed if it rained soon.
END
On all enquiries regarding this media release, contact: Willie Croucamp 082 807 3530, wscroucamp@metroweb.co.za
Date: 17/10/03
Source: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (http://www.dwaf.gov.za)