It has been estimated that the current total potential water demand for existing and proclaimed township development in Rocky Drift and White River exceeds the volume actually available from the White River and Sand River catchments areas by some 80%. In 2003 a moratorium on development had to be imposed pending the finding of solutions to the problem - and the seriousness of the situation was further emphasised by a drought in 2005.
The problems, however, could become a thing of the past. Work has been in progress on a Water Augmentation Programme. This is the result of the MLM and Nelspruit /Rocky Drift/White River corridor private enterprise developers entering into an agreement which will enable them to use an existing 5,000,000m3 per annum water allocation from the Crocodile River.
The need for this extra water will be appreciated when it is realised, first, that over 4,000 housing, business and industrial units have either been approved or are awaiting approval in the Nelspruit/White River corridor and second, that relief measures such as infrastructure upgrading in the White River catchment area cannot possibly cope with anything like the anticipated demand.
The total water augmentation scheme is set to be implemented over approximately 20 years and could have an end cost, in today's money, of R91m.
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