WITSAND NEWS - The desalination plant, an innovative project by Hessequa Municipality for this town is scheduled to be in operation over the 2018-2019 holiday season, is steadily on course.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) has accepted the method statement, with minor requirements. One of the requirements included clarification of environmentally compliant' in respect of the generated brine effluent and how this will be measured - one of the burning issues raised by residents at the public meeting held in Witsand on Thursday 23 August.
The brine created by the desalination process will be discharged back into the estuary.
The DEA&DP further required clarification on the time intervals for cleaning and maintenance of the small grid spacing on the rainwater intake grids, as well as how this will be monitored to determine when cleaning or maintenance is required.
A question raised in the same meeting by a farmer on the banks of the river was how the proposed pump filters would cope with the amount of mud in the water after heavy rains over the holiday season, witch happens regularly.
The concern was the availability of fresh water for residents and holidaymakers should the pumps be clogged for any length of time.
The method statement will be updated according to the departments' requirements and the complete Environmental Management Plan (EMP) with specialist reports and updated method statement will be submitted to the department shortly.
At the same time as the EMP goes to DEA&DP, the coastal discharge permit application will also be submitted to the National Department of Environmental: Oceans and Coast for their consideration.
*Die ontsoutingsaanleg by Witsand wat deur Hessequa-munisipaliteit gedryf word is nog op koers nadat die departement van omgewingsake die voorleggingsdokumente goedgekeur het. Klein wysigings word aangevra, soos duideliker omskrywings van terme soos 'omgewings-toegeeflik' en hoe die skoonmaak en onderhoud van die stelsel gemonitor gaan word. Inwoners van die dorp het juis die soort bekommernisse geopper tydens 'n openbare vergadering wat op 23 Augustus gehou is. Die gewysigde dokumente, tesame met die voltooide omgewingsbeheerplan sal saam met spesialiste se verslae aan die department voorgelê word. Terselfdertyd word aansoek by die nasionale departement van omgewingsake: oseane en kus gedoen vir oorweging om 'n kus stortingspermit te verkry. |
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