SoE Pretoria - Hydrology (Overview)

The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality comprises several catchments of numerous rivers and streams, which are associated with linear open spaces.

Rand Water is the main supplier of portable water to the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. It provides 80% of the 359 000 kilolitres of water consumed each year, at a cost of R332 million (US$ 55 million). The remaining 20 % is supplied by water sources within the TMM.

Today the series of springs of the Fountains Valley supply the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality with approximately 60 000 liters of water per day. These springs are fed from dolomitic water and its immediate recharge areas occur within the Fountains Valley open area. These springs are valuable asset to the New Tshwane Area and should therefore be protected from pollution and harmful development.

Other areas that are fed by dolomitic water are large sections of Centurion and the central part of the southern section of the Crocodile River TRC.

Approximately 95 % of the residents of the old GPMA (Centurion, Akasia and the Northern Metropolitan Sub-structure) have access to taps and flush toilets.

Recent investigations indicated that the water losses in Gauteng reached an astonishing 27% and in the EGSC area it is estimated to be in the order of 20%.

The main causes of water pollution in the TMM area are:

The removal of edge vegetation;
Extensive encroachment of "informal housing" has already taken place within the flood lines (i.e. along the Edendal spruit);
On-site sanitation associated with informal settlements and illegal squatting (influences ground water as well as surface water);
The clearance of development sites of all vegetation cover;
Uncontrolled storm water run-off from surfaces (i.e. parking lots, streets, industrial and residential sites etc) which contain a variety of contaminants;
Littering (i.e. empty bottles, cans, cigarette boxes etc.); and
Dams that are being built in rivers (i.e. Centurion Lake).