DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY SPEAKS ON THE FAILURE OF BELLAIR DAM
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has announced that it is considering legal steps against the Bellair Irrigation Board once more information becomes available about the failure of Bellair dam. The Board is the registered owner of the dam and therefore responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Bellair Dam and the need for some upgrading had been identified.
This follows the failure on Monday night of the Bellair Dam which was built for irrigation purposes in 1922. The dam, with a 16 metre high earthfill wall, is situated in the Gourits River catchment, which drains the area north of Montagu and stores 10 million cubic metres of water. The flood that caused the failure was the result of the same storm system that caused the flooding of Montagu in the Breë River catchment.
The dam safety regulations requires the owner to submit a report within 60 days describing the incident and causes of failure. DWAF will inspect the dam for clues about the causes of the failure and also the extent of damage suffered by third parties. Based on information on departmental files the dam was classified as a medium size dam with a high hazard potential for causing damage or loss of life in downstream areas. Fortunately, there were no deaths as a result of this failure.
The Department is concerned that dam managers should recognise the risks their dams pose to people living down stream and has programmes to create such awareness.
“We cannot afford to take chances: next time we might not be so lucky” said Mr Mike Muller, Director-General: Water Affairs and Forestry. “This incident also highlights the need for municipalities to ensure that people do not build houses in areas which may be flooded.”
Although flood losses were experienced in Montagu and surrounding areas during the recent floods, these were significantly reduced by the fact that two storage dams, i.e. Poortjieskloof and Pietersfontein served as a buffer for incoming floods. Both dams were empty before the floods and only started releasing water late during the storm.
Flood damage in low-lying areas adjacent to rivers are always to be expected. Previously legislation required that development be confined to areas above the one in twenty year floodlines. The National Water Act requires that no permanent development should be undertaken unless the one in a hundred year floodline appears on development plans. This is to alert developers to the damages of flooding. Only structures or facilities used on a temporary basis are allowed below the floodline.
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