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CAMISSA 'the place of sweet waters', is the Khoi name for Cape Town. Embedded, lost and obscured within the city's fabric this vital ecological and cultural link still exists....

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First Post!

25/5/2013

10 Comments

 
Finally, the RECLAIM CAMISSA website goes LIVE!
http://www.reclaimcamissa.org

After an adventurous walk about with Dr. Eliot Taylor, the Technical Coordinator of Water and Wetlands (Eastern & Southern Africa) at IUCN, his genius suggestion to quantify the water wasted and it's potential to produce power, versus what it is costing the Western Cape Department of Water Affairs (DWA) and the City of Cape Town (CoCT) to pump the equivalent water from the Overberg on a daily basis, was an eureka moment.  

Due to the elevation at which these springs issue, the energy potential is tremendous, and historically it was this water which turned the wheels of industry in Cape Town.  We still need to get a Hydro-Engineer or Hydrologist to help with the kilowatt figures,  so that we can do a comparable study. RECLAIM CAMISSA has indeed pioneered this previously, see here.


Two of the five springs in the Field of Springs are producing  5.5million litres of water per day - wasted through the tunnels under the city's streets; and we now have twenty-five springs in our database for the City Bowl. 
 
RECLAIM CAMISSA's Pilot Project: THE FIELD OF SPRINGS, for which we were awarded a Provincial Government Western Cape (PGWC) 110%GREEN Flagship Project on World Environment Day, last year pertains. Accordingly the benefits of the pilot project translates to:

1.          R8.5m or R16.6m per annum if one goes on (only) 4million litres/day (retaining 1.5million/day out of the 5.5million for eco-reserve in the filtration ponds) using the lowest residential water pricing tariff of R5.85 per kl or R11.42 per kl for commercial and industrial usage as published in the City's Integrated Development Plan.   

2.         Revenue generated by the capture and sale of this water could be utilized to develop other aspects of RECLAIM CAMISSA as subsequent self funded initiatives that would contribute towards skills upliftment and job creation; and hence contribute significantly to the showcasing of a green city and green economy.

3.          The project in capturing potable water at source for domestic and or commercial use would enable the city to embark on a project by satisfying water needs closer to source with the resultant reduction in infrastructural expansion and maintenance; and with the simultaneous reduction in disaster risk management strategies necessitated by water catchment management areas that are geographically remote from the point of consumption. This would translate into a reduced treatment and supply cost per kl compared with conventional water supply strategies.

4.         The water captured by RECLAIM CAMISSA of the two springs thus identified, out of a possible twenty-five springs (although only approximately fifteen of these would be for potable use - the balance for urban landscaping; street trees; fields; parks, etc.) equates to the free basic water supply at 20,277 homes - without impact on the water resources as this is water not currently captured. As such the project benefits the wider Cape Town community notwithstanding its geographic positioning within an affluent suburb.

Sadly, RECLAIM CAMISSA's Pilot Project: THE FIELD OF SPRINGS remains on hold...

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ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED by THE RECLAIM CAMISSA TRUST No. IT 2882/2010.
This is a citizen-scientist open source database. By acknowledging and referencing the source, you are welcome to use the material and information provided here for the common good.
All research, spatial framework and proposals are the intellectual property of Caron von Zeil. 
10 Comments
Dr P.R. Jackly, Zurich
17/6/2013 02:53:27 am

17 June 2013
It really is disappointing that the City of Cape Town turns a blind eye on a project aimed at utilising Table Mountain's enormous water resources - a fatal error in view of a looming freshwater shortage and a slap in the face of Mrs von Zeil, who for almost a decade has invested all her lifeblood in a scheme which would very much improve the City Bowl's quality of life.

Reply
Dr P.R. Jackly, Zurich
18/6/2013 12:49:17 am

18 June 2013

Addendum to comment of 17 June 2013

By 'the City of Cape Town' I only refer to the City Council departments refusing to give the go-ahead for the project - despite Premier Helen Zille and Mayor Patricia de Lille advocating it.

Reply
Dr P.R. Jackly, Zurich
18/6/2013 01:24:03 am

18 June 2013

Addendum 2

For those wishing to know the 'status quo' of 'Reclaim Camissa' the Cape Times' article of 14 June 2013 entitled 'Cape's spring water wasted' is strongly recommended [just enter the title in the search box of your browser or type http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/cape-s-spring-water-wasted-1.1532571#.UcAH4z9ABck].

I have just been informed by a reader of reclaimcamissa.org that
Ferlon Charles Christians, Chief Executive Officer for the Independent Democrats, has promised to attend to the matter.
A silver lining above Table Mountain?

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Caron link
18/6/2013 01:54:55 am

Thank you for your support and for keeping us informed Dr. P.R Jackly. We have heard nothing further from the CoCT officials. It is appalling that line function departments in the City's municipality can disregard our elected leadership. There are many people who have dealt with municipal officials, who can attest to this and its time that the structural problems within the municipality were addressed to function transversally - as the PGWC has successfully done. RECLAIM CAMISSA has also received the support of Independent Councillor Mr. Yagyah Adams of the Cape Muslim Congress, who serves on the Finance Portfolio; and the Energy and Climate Change Portfolio Committees.

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Robert de Vos
24/6/2013 09:20:45 am

Excellent work ... perhaps the DA need to be reminded that there is an election coming up...

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Caron link
24/6/2013 10:30:45 am

Thank you Robert. Fortunately for the DA, Minister Winde is a hardworking man, who by all accounts delivers on his promises. He has "requested that the Red Tape Reduction Unit investigate this matter and he has also requested that this matter be placed on the agenda for discussion at the monthly meeting which takes place between the Provincial Government and City officials". We await, to hear further.

Unfortunately for the CoCT, the paper trail speaks volumes more than the dismissive remarks by the Councillors in today's Cape Times article. The paper trail includes several emails and correspondence between Councillor Bloor's office and Property Management, who could not find "the lease", and Parks. Even an email and a phone call, requesting RECLAIM CAMISSA to send through a copy of "our" lease, despite the fact that the entire issue is about the fact that we do not have a lease. Our lease was never processed, as the Director appointed by the Mayor did not adhere to her instructions or agreement with ourselves. The Director did not respond to us, in over a year. When he was finally asked to respond, by the Mayor's office - he stated that this did not fall within his gambit. We will be making a full disclosure to the PGWC.

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Ian Loots
24/5/2017 09:32:06 am

Morning Caron - as concerned citizens of CoCT we (Osprey Capital Partners) would like to meet with you urgently and discuss how we may be able to help progress this issue with the City.

Reply
DFK Indiana link
22/2/2021 01:20:23 pm

This is a great post thanks for writing it.

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Television Repair Maryland link
31/3/2023 11:41:08 pm

This is a great post, thanks for writing it

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spotzero filters link
22/2/2025 12:02:02 pm

Comprehensive marine services, from AC and refrigeration repairs to water purification and maintenance, ensuring smooth sailing every time.

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    Caron von Zeil

    Is the founder of Reclaim Camissa - a Mother, complexity thinker, systems designer, environmentalist, urbanist and an activist for human rights.

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    Photo: Courtney Africa, Cape Times, June 2013.

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    Photo: Courtney Africa, Cape Times, June 2013.

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    Photo: Mark Kaplan, January 2018.

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    Photo: David Harrison, M&G, February 2018.
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    ​With Earth Pilgrim, Geoff Dalglish. Photo: Riyaz Rawoot, February 2018.

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    Photo: David Harrison, Mail & Guardian, February 2018.

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    Photo: CNN, February 2018.

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    With elder Àlvaro Tukano from São Gabriel da Chachoeira, Amazonas in Brazil on #WorldWaterDay, 22 March 2018.

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