SGHS

14/04/2024

Water in Wait: The Six-Month Shutdown of Lesotho Highlands Project and Its Aftermath.

The upcoming six-month shutdown of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) tunnel in South Africa, scheduled to begin in October 2024, is an event of significant consequence, particularly for the Gauteng province, which is heavily reliant on the water supply from this project. The LHWP stands as a vital infrastructure providing not only water but also hydroelectric power to Lesotho and South Africa. Completing Phase I in 2003, it has been a lynchpin in the socio-economic growth of both regions.
Understanding the breadth of this project is essential. It is a large-scale scheme that transfers 1.27 billion cubic meters of water annually from Lesotho to the Gauteng region, addressing 60% of Gauteng's water needs and bolstering irrigation for agriculture. The water supply from LHWP is also crucial for regions with erratic rainfall and aids environmental conservation by diluting the acidity of the Vaal River caused by industrial activities.

The forthcoming maintenance is critical and will involve a complete shutdown of the water transfer tunnels for repairs and inspection to ensure their integrity. The consequences of this shutdown are far-reaching. It threatens to exacerbate existing water scarcity in Gauteng and will impact residential and agricultural sectors through water restrictions, reliance on more expensive water sources, and potential adverse health effects from alternative water sources.

Mitigation is possible, with proactive planning and public awareness campaigns being key strategies. The impact of the tunnel closure will ultimately depend on the government's strategy, the public's conservation efforts, and the availability of alternative water sources.

This discussion reflects the insights shared by Ifedotun Aina, a Senior Researcher at the University of Cape Town, and underscores the necessity of a collaborative approach to navigate the impending challenges.

11/02/2022

SGHS is proud to be a sponsor of the QACCS Free State Club.

For those who are not familiar to QACCS, herewith the meaning of the QACCS Golf Club’s name and what they stand for:

• QACCS Golf Club = Quantity Surveyors, Architects, Consultants, Contractors & Suppliers.
• Operates as a non-profit making organization.
• Encourage and promote a source of business and fellowship amongst colleagues in the construction, building and allied industries through the medium of golf.
• Provide an opportunity for those engaged in construction, building and allied industries to meet one another on equal terms at least once a month to make and/or cement new and/or old friendships and to enjoy together the relaxation and conviviality afforded by the game of golf.
• Donate and making dispositions for charitable and/or needy and/or worthy causes

For more info on the QACCS, please visit their page at
https://www.facebook.com/QACCS-Free-State-101853662039652

20/10/2021

SGHS is proud to have been a sponsor of the Bi-Anual Groundwater Conference. Creating a space for professional scientists to discuss the latest technological advances to preserve and manage our precious water resources.

06/09/2019

Are you compliant with Section 21 of the National Water Act of 1998?

This link will provide a brief background to what is expected of a water user in terms of licensing and registration to promote sustainable water resource management.

When you hear the term “water use”, the first thing you probably think of is water abstraction – taking water from a water resource such as a river, dam or borehole.  What most people don’t realise is that a variety of activities are classified as “water uses” in terms of Section 21 of ...

21/06/2019

Farms can expect big water fines.
Should you find yourself in a similar situation, please contact our help centre for advice.

Government agencies are clamping down on what they call illegal water activities.

19/06/2019

Why raising the bar in Environmental Impact Assessments is critical to enhance social and ecological justice in South Africa.

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) are a requirement for many large projects, which give the red, amber or green light to sustainable development projects in South Africa. However, the recent papers on the required Climate Change adaptation pathways by the IPCC and the IPBES paper on the signifi...

13/06/2019

This photo was taken yesterday morning (12June) near Sutherland, South Africa.

The area is known to experience sub zero temperatures in winter months. This gives rise to spectacular scenes such as shown below.

Photo credit goes to Benjamin Small.

11/06/2019

Wildlife Activity Hub Development in Kruger National Park.

SGHS recently conducted a Hydrological investigation forming part of a BA, compiled by Enviroworks, for a SANPark development within the Kruger.

Our team contributed to this project by identifying and rating sensitive water courses, assessing potential impacts and recommending preferred infrastructure placement with a focus to avoid watercourses on the property.

A Rhino Orphanage will form part of this development to help educate the public and promote public awareness (Rhino Poaching). Nine different hubs will be developed with interlinking shuttle system connecting the various activity hubs with a hop-on hop-off experience.

We are exited to form part of the solution to sustainable development which is environmental awareness.

09/06/2019

SGHS recently took part in conducting a WULA for the proposed expansion of an existing WWTW north of the town Rouxville, situated within the Local Municipality of Mohokare.

The WULA is to form part of an EIA report compiled by Eco-Con Environmental.

As an ongoing project, the proposed development aims to meet the growing sanitation demand of the local community.

Our team is pleased to have partaken in a promising urban development project such as this.

04/06/2019

SGHS recently helped a local farmer of the Vryburg area with groundwater allocation. A geological contact boundary and faulting of the Allanridge and Vryburg Formation was targeted by focusing on aeromagnetic and site specific magnetic lineaments. Due to thick bush and mountainous terrain, this was no easy task.

A borehole was successfully sited and drilled with a yield of 10 000 L/h, improving the farm’s restricted water supply of 680 L/h and bettering all other boreholes in the region.

This project was successfully completed in collaboration with Gobora Drilling who did an excellent job in constructing the borehole.

Please feel free to visit our website and get in touch to explore more of our services
http://www.sgeohydros.co.za

11/02/2019

THE HOTTEST 5 YEARS EVER RECORDED ARE CLOSE BY.

The prediction came as global figures revealed that last year was the fourth warmest ever recorded – topped only by 2016, 2015 and 2017.

24/01/2019

Are we already staring at what seems to be a groundwater 'time bomb'?

Climate change could disrupt nearly half of the world's groundwater supply within 100 years.