Abstract
The City of Cape Town initiated its “New Water Programme” in 2017 to diversify its bulk water supply, thereby improving long-term water security and resilience against future droughts—this includes bulk groundwater abstraction of potentially ~140–400 Ml/day from the major fractured Peninsula and Nardouw Aquifers of the Table Mountain Group (TMG; in the mountain catchments to the east of the city). Current TMG groundwater exploration and wellfield development are taking place in the vicinity of Steenbras Dam, in the form of the ~15–20 Ml/day Steenbras Wellfield scheme. The TMG aquifers are also essential in sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems associated with the Cape Floral Kingdom—a global biodiversity hotspot with exceptional endemic diversity, but also a global extinction hotspot. A strong geoethical, “no-regrets” approach is, therefore, required to develop TMG wellfield schemes for the City of Cape Town (and other towns/cities in the Western/Eastern Cape), in order to reduce the risk of any negative ecological and environmental impacts, while still enhancing the drought resilience of the city, providing water for future urban growth, and meeting Sustainable Development Goals 6 and 11.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blake D, Mlisa A, Hartnady CJH (2010) Large scale quantification of aquifer storage and volumes from the Peninsula and Skurweberg formations in the southwestern Cape. Water SA 36(2):177–184
Blake D, Riemann K, Rademan Z, Geldenhuys P (2019) Groundwater development of the Table Mountain Group Aquifers as part of the City of Cape Town’s new water programme. In: 16th South African groundwater division conference, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Oct 2019
City of Cape Town (2019) Cape Town water strategy—our shared water future
Colvin C, Riemann K, Brown C, Le Maitre D, Mlisa A, Blake D, Aston T, Maherry A, Engelbrecht J, Pemberton C, Magoba R, Soltau L, Prinsloo E (2009) Ecological and environmental impacts of large-scale groundwater development in the Table Mountain Group (TMG) aquifer system. Water research commission report 1327/1/08
Di Capua G, Peppoloni S, Bobrowsky PT (2017) The Cape Town statement on geo-ethics. Ann Geophys 60, Fast Track 7. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7553
Hartnady CJH and Hay ER (2002) The use of structural geology and remote sensing in hydrogeological exploration of the Olifants and Doring River catchments. In: Pietersen K, Parsons R (eds) A synthesis of the hydrogeology of the Table Mountain Group—formation of a research strategy. Water research commission report TT158/01, pp 19–30
Hartnady CJH, Hay ER (2008) The assessment of water availability in the berg catchment (WMA 19) by means of water resource related models: groundwater model report, vol 3. Regional conceptual model. DWAF report no. P WMA 19/000/00/0408, 135pp
Hartnady CJH, Hay ER, Riemann K (2004) Table Mountain Group Aquifer feasibility study and pilot project: preliminary phase—hydrogeological report. TMG aquifer alliance/CMC administration, report no. 2, Oct 2004, 138pp
Hartnady CJH, Hay ER, Riemann KR, Mlisa A, Jackson C, Paige A Groenewald LG (2005) Deep artesian groundwater for oudtshoorn municipal supply: phase D—target generation and borehole/wellfield siting using structural geology and geophysical methods. Water research commission report 1254/1/05, 164pp
Hartnady CJH, Riemann K, Seyler H (2009) Sustainable groundwater management: a case study of the monitor, model, manage approach in Hermanus. Civ Eng 17(7):14–20
Humphreys AM, Govaerts R, Ficinski SZ, Lughadha EN, Vorontsova MS (2019) Global dataset shows geography and life form predict modern plant extinction and rediscovery. Nat Ecol Evol 3:1043–1047
Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403:853–858
Rebelo AG, Holmes PM, Dorse C, Wood J (2011) Impacts of urbanization in a biodiversity hotspot: conservation challenges in Metropolitan Cape Town. S Afr J Bot 77(1):20–35
Acknowledgements
The City of Cape Town: Water and Sanitation Department: Bulk Water Branch is acknowledged for the funding and undertaking of the TMG wellfield developments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Blake, D., Hartnady, C., Hay, R., Riemann, K. (2021). Geoethics of Bulk Groundwater Abstraction in an Ecologically Sensitive Area: Steenbras Wellfield (Cape Town). In: Abrunhosa, M., Chambel, A., Peppoloni, S., Chaminé, H.I. (eds) Advances in Geoethics and Groundwater Management : Theory and Practice for a Sustainable Development. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59320-9_90
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59320-9_90
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-59319-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-59320-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)