Water Supply for South Africa

Water Supply for South Africa

Consul Edwin N. Gunsalus, of Johannesburg, South Africa, writes Washington authorities as follows concerning a proposed new water supply for the Rand:

“cit的不断增长的人口y of Johannesburg and the surrounding towns of the Witwatersrand, and with the increased demand for water for use of the gold-mining industry, there has been a great dearth of water for several years, the present supply being entirely inadequate, especially during those seasons when the rains have not been up to the average. The Rand water board, which has charge of the water supply for practically all of the Rand district, has now approved a scheme for securing an adequate additional supply of water from the Vaal river. During the last few years numerous schemes have been under consideration, including the Vaal river, the Crocodile river and catchment areas considerably removed from the centers of requirement. Certain unused mines on the West Rand, which contain enormous supplies of water, were also under consideration, but as the pumping of water from any but working mines is prohibited by law, these sources were not brought into use. The Vaal river scheme, which it is proposed to put into operation, will take four tears to complete and will cost approximately $6,500,000 The proposal is that the water be pumped from the river in the vicinity of Vereeniging to the existing water board pumping station at Zwartkopjes, and from that point it will be passed through pipes to balancing tanks and reservoirs already in use in the distributing centers. The Vaal river has for a long time been looked upon as the natural source of supply to meet the Rand water problems. Much delay, however, in bringing the present scheme to a head has been in a measure caused by lengthy negotiations with those farmers and others who hold riparian rights on its banks.