TABLE MOUNTAIN WATER SOURCE PARTNERSHIP

The Table Mountain Water Source Partnership project implemented a multi-layered approach to groundwater management in Cape Town, combining public awareness campaigns, citizen-science monitoring, and policy analysis. Key achievements include the launch of a public groundwater dashboard on 24 March 2022, the installation of dataloggers in four new residential areas, and the integration of groundwater data into the City of Cape Town's Bulk Water Decision Support System. The project culminated in the formal launch of the Table Mountain Water Source Partnership on 15 November 2021, consisting of nine founding members from government, academia, and the private sector to ensure sustainable groundwater governance.

• The project successfully increased groundwater awareness through faith-based and educational initiatives. Six publications reached over 36,000 people, and the Diocese of Cape Town passed a resolution encouraging over 50 churches to protect groundwater. In schools, over 2,000 Grade 4, 5, and 7 students were reached with tailored materials, and a winning poster from Kannemeyer Primary School inspired video billboards shown over 300,000 times each at 33 locations across the Western Cape.
• Groundwater monitoring was expanded to four new residential and business areas: Brackenfell, Constantia/Bergvliet, Noordhoek, and Scarborough/Kommetjie. A hydrocensus in these areas identified 683 boreholes and wellpoints, though only 333 were registered on the City of Cape Town database. Seventeen volunteers agreed to the installation of dataloggers to provide long-term groundwater level data.
• A public groundwater dashboard for Cape Town was launched on 24 March 2022 at tablemountain.groundwaterinfo.africa. The tool allows residents and scientists to visualize groundwater data through 'Quick view' and 'Deep dive' options, utilizing a database that integrates information from the City of Cape Town and other institutions.
• A learning exchange with the Danish company DHI Water & Environment enabled the City of Cape Town to integrate groundwater data into its Bulk Water Decision Support System (BWDSS). This allows the city to monitor real-time measurements from seven boreholes and potentially 16 more, improving the ability to forecast aquifer replenishment and manage future drought periods.
• Policy analysis revealed that while the national Groundwater Management Strategy (2015) devolves responsibility to local government, groundwater governance in Cape Town remains disjointed. The report recommends evolving the Table Mountain Water Source Partnership into a flexible, mandated institutional arrangement to support local resource management.
• The Table Mountain Water Source Partnership was officially launched on 15 November 2021 with nine founding members, including the City of Cape Town, the Royal Danish Embassy, the Department of Water and Sanitation, GreenCape, SAB - AB InBev, the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape, the Water Research Commission, and WWF South Africa.
• The project identified a correlation between economic status and groundwater concerns: borehole owners are primarily concerned with quantity and sustainable use, while non-borehole owners in less affluent areas are more concerned with water quality and the health risks associated with pollutant infiltration.

APA

Nel, M., & Schachtschneider, K. (2022). TABLE MOUNTAIN WATER SOURCE PARTNERSHIP. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_table_mountain_water_source_partnership.pdf

Chicago

Nel, Marlese, and Klaudia Schachtschneider. TABLE MOUNTAIN WATER SOURCE PARTNERSHIP. WWF South Africa, 2022. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_table_mountain_water_source_partnership.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nel |first1=Marlese |last2=Schachtschneider |first2=Klaudia |title=TABLE MOUNTAIN WATER SOURCE PARTNERSHIP |publisher=WWF South Africa |date=2022 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_table_mountain_water_source_partnership.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nel2022table, author = {Nel, Marlese and Schachtschneider, Klaudia}, title = {{TABLE MOUNTAIN WATER SOURCE PARTNERSHIP}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2022}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_table_mountain_water_source_partnership.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }