By Phenyo Selinda
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has given the City of Cape Town the green light to construct an emergency spillway on a farm dam that is on the brink of collapse. This urgent intervention comes after the failure of three other dams in Riverlands, which resulted in devastating flooding, severe property damage, and the displacement of hundreds of residents who are now receiving humanitarian aid.
Dr Mandla Mathebula, the Head of Communication for DWS, explained that the three dams that failed lacked adequate spillways and had reached unsafe levels due to heavy rainfall. The overflow caused the dams to breach in succession, leading to widespread flooding. The fourth dam, which is situated higher up in the valley, is also at risk due to its lack of a spillway and the discovery of structural damage.
“The fourth dam, which is the highest dam in the valley, also has no spillway and it has been discovered that it has some structural damage. The dams are owned by the Western Cape Provincial Government and serve local farmers. To reduce the risk of potential failure, the DWS Dam Safety Office has granted permission for the construction of an emergency spillway on the fourth dam,” said Dr Mathebula.
Immediate Construction to Prevent Further Disaster
Construction on the emergency spillway has already begun under the supervision of a qualified professional. The goal is to ensure that the dam can manage the anticipated heavy rains, which are expected to continue until Tuesday. Additionally, the dam’s outlet pipe will remain fully open to reduce the water levels to a safer capacity, or even to empty the dam entirely if necessary.
Dr Mathebula provided insights into the preliminary findings from the department’s engineers who have been on-site since the incidents occurred. The dams failed last Wednesday at around 3am, leading to partial flooding in the town of Riverlands, located approximately two kilometres downstream. The dams, which store the majority of the catchment runoff, lacked spillways, causing the downstream river to dry up during the rainy season.
Impact on the Community and Infrastructure
The flooding has had a significant impact on the Riverlands community, with damage to homes, subsistence farming smallholdings, schools, roads, and other infrastructure. Notably, many of these structures were built within the original river flood zones, heightening their vulnerability to such disasters.
Dr Mathebula mentioned that the DWS will conduct a thorough investigation into the causes of the dam failures. Depending on the findings, the department may take regulatory actions to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Collaboration and Ongoing Support
In response to the crisis, the DWS has dispatched engineers from its Western Cape Regional Office to offer expert advice and support in stabilising and rehabilitating the affected areas. A local Joint Operations Committee has been established, comprising various municipalities, disaster management teams, the DWS, and several humanitarian organisations including Gift of the Givers and the SPCA. These groups are working together to manage the situation and provide relief to the affected communities.
“The DWS is doing its best to assist the City of Cape Town during this difficult period to ensure that the situation is normalised. We have dispatched our engineers from the Western Cape Regional Office to provide expert advice to stabilise and rehabilitate the situation,” Dr Mathebula said.
The department has assured residents in the affected areas that all necessary measures are being taken to address the problem. It has also called on community members to cooperate fully with the ongoing efforts to ensure that the work can be completed as quickly as possible.
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