water situation

[leftright]

LeftRight,

it would be much more efficient,before we run into further water trouble, if they would limit the construction works as a preventive measure. But this will not happen.

Joe, would you rather have people employed or unemployed ?. Construction employs many people during construction and after.

I do agree that perhaps the authorities could force the construction companies to be more conservative with their water usage, but cement can only set with water, catch 22.

The poor couple that was washing cars at the gasoline station in Fef ... they had to stop.

A clean car is not essential to life, neither is a green garden or a full pool. All the golf courses use enormous quantities of water just to keep the grass green for a select few, ridiculous.
These items are luxury items and hence should be restricted immediately.

What are they waiting for...

[Joe]

http://theindependent.mu/2011/05/20/wat ... in-2-days/
and
http://theindependent.mu/2011/05/21/wan ... ter-tanks/

Now the goverment finally considers the repair of the old rotten pipes of the water distribution system as necessary ... guess they start to fear the future anger of the people. I assume they should.

LeftRight, do you really think they will switch off or even reduce the water for the golf courses and the hotels green belts? I bet, that they will say that the hotels and golf courses have their own tanks and reservoirs and are only using this water for this purpose, although this water was and is and will be filled up again through CWA pipes, so it will reduce the total amount of available water ... and I still think that the government should force the costruction companies, so that they have to slow down the construction activity to safe water.

These rules have to be equal for everybody. It can't be that private gardens are no longer allowed to get watered and public, hotel green belts an golf courses are allowed to. Same for cars ... the primes car i.e. should also not be washed if its forbidden for everybody !

[Joe]

Update: Monday, the 23.05.11: Mare de Vacoas at 37.4% .
On Friday it still were 38.1%. Lost 0.7% of its water in 3-4 days

[leftright]

Lost 0.7% of its water in 3-4 days

By "Lost" do you mean water lost due to leaks and evaporation, or do you mean water lost due to consumption, leaks and evaporation.

If the .7% "Lost is all inclusive then we have enough water for 211 days (7 months) which should see us through until december, perhaps longer if they introduce strict restrictions now. Problem is reservoir will be down to zero, without a good rainy season at the end of this year we'll be using sea water for our needs next year.

[Joe]

Hi LeftRight,

"Lost" is seen from the perespective of the water reservoire. It would not make sense to skip certain losses, as we want to know how much water we have and how long it will last. So "Lost" of course includes all the losses through leaks, water consumption of the people, evaporation etc. And if it rains, we all hope it will, "Lost" will become of course negativ.

0.7% of 25.89 Mm3 (the max. Capacity of Mare de Vacoas) = 0.18 Mm3 daily losses

The current left capacity is 9.3 Mm3 = 36%. So 9.3 Mm3 / 0.18 Mm3 = 51.6

So if we assume that the current losses stay at this high level AND it does not rain ... we would have around 51 days, not even 2 months, until its empty

I guess its even less time, as we can't use all the water in the reservoire cause at the end its becomes too muddy/dirty.

It's time for some strong measures to reduce the total losses fast. Against the evaporation we cant do anything. Repairing the leaks is a job that takes years and will not save us in the current situation ... too late for that. So the distribution of water only every 2 days will certainly help to reduce the heavy losses due to leaks in the distribution system. Reducing construction and watering of green belts in those areas concerned (Quatre Bornes, Rose Hill, Ebene, etc.) would also be very helpfull.

[leonaortiz05]

Pool filters, filters all the unnecessary things on your pool, this could be a great help.

[Joe]

HI all,

CWA just published the newest numbers ...

Here a quick overview about the situation at Mare de Vacoas:

19.05 2011: 38.1%
......................Losses/day: 0.0453 Mm3 = 45300 m3
23.05.2011: 37.4%
......................Losses/day: 0.0777 Mm3 = 77700 m3
24.05.2011: 37.1%
......................Losses/day: 0.0777 Mm3 = 77700 m3
25.05.2011: 36.8%
......................Losses/day: 0.0518 Mm3 = 51800 m3
30.05.2011: 35.8%

The CWA website: http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/cwa

[leftright]

So if we assume that the current losses stay at this high level AND it does not rain ... we would have around 51 days, not even 2 months, until its empty

Joe, I don't agree with your calculation.

Daily AVERAGE "%" decrease from the 19th until the 30th was .23 % ; [(38.1%-35.8%)/10days].
35.8% divided by .23% = 155 days of water remaining = 5 months.

I calculate that 35.8% will provide us with 5 months of water at a average consumption rate of .23% per day.

[Joe]

So if we assume that the current losses stay at this high level AND it does not rain ... we would have around 51 days, not even 2 months, until its empty

Joe, I don't agree with your calculation.

Daily AVERAGE "%" decrease from the 19th until the 30th was .23 % ; [(38.1%-35.8%)/10days].
35.8% divided by .23% = 155 days of water remaining = 5 months.

I calculate that 35.8% will provide us with 5 months of water at a average consumption rate of .23% per day.

LetfRight,

you certainly can use the average value, but I prefer to use a high value for the losses as the dry period on the island is ahead and this average value will most probably not reflect the reduced rainfalls in June to November/December. Don't forget that the "loss" values are reduced if there is a rainfall. And recently there were some rainfalls in this area.

So it most probably will be somewhere between your 5 months and my 2 months. But it still means it is serious !!!

[dunno]

CWA just published the newest numbers ...

Here a quick overview about the situation at Mare de Vacoas:

......................Losses/day: 0.0518 Mm3 = 51800 m3
30.05.2011: 35.8%
The CWA website: http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/cwa

Joe,
The level of the M.A.V reservoir is not that critical for the Black River district as 82% of the wests water comes from the Curepipe Aquifer, which falls under the auspices of the Mare aux Vacoas Lower water supply system. Extra water demand is augmented by the M.A.V. Upper system when neccessary .

Mare aux Vacoas Water Supply System - Lower
System Characteristics;
This system caters for potable water supply to Lower Plaines Wilhems and includes the Cities of Quatre Bornes and Beau Bassin -Rose Hill and the rural areas in the Black River District.

System Characteristics
* System area = 200 km²
* Population Served = 227,000
* Number of Accounts = 51,000

Main water Sources
* Ground water Sources (Curepipe Aquifer)
*Normal production : 110,000 m³/day
*Groundwater = 82%; suplemented with surface water from MaV (Upper) when necessary.

Aquifers of Mauritius;
http://www.gov.mu/portal/goc/menv/files ... /a%205.pdf

Reference for the Curepipe Aquifer and the (M.A.V Lower water supply system);
http://www.gov.mu/portal/site/cwa/menui ... 048a521ca/