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COMPANY PROFILE

The Overberg Water Board was established in 1993 with the amalgamation of Duivenhoks and Ruensveld Water Boards. The Overberg Water Board is one of the national water public entities under the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). It exists to complement the work of the department and primarily supports the Minister as the shareholder. It is a water board providing bulk water services in terms of the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 and is subjected to a number of applicable laws such as the Constitution, the National Water Act 36 of 1998, Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999. Overberg Water discharges its services by placing its customers ahead of the delivery menu. It has a long history of service delivery and placing customers in the forefront since its inception. Overberg Water has been a pillar of hope to its customers in terms of the quality of drinking water. The Head Office of OW is situated in Somerset West which is approximately 40 km from the Cape Town CDB and 30 km from Cape Town International Airport. It also has three water schemes functioning as satellite offices and these are Ruensveld West, Caledon; Ruensveld East Swellendam and Duivenhoks in Heidelberg. 


The Overberg Water’s area of jurisdiction is the south-western Cape in the west to the Heidelberg/ Riversdale districts in the east and bounded by the Langeberg Mountains in the north and by the Indian Ocean in the south. Its area includes the following towns: Caledon, Napier, Bredasdorp, Riviersonderend, Swellendam, Heidelberg, Riversdale and a number of other smaller areas. It is situated in one of the water management areas, namely, the Breede-Olifants Catchment Management Area (BOCMA) which measures approximately 72 000 square kilometres. The BOCMA is the sole water resource authority in the catchment. The BOCMA “gives effect to its function to investigate and advise water users on the protection, conservation, management and control of water resources in a cooperative manner” (BOCMA, 2015).
 

PURPOSE

The primary function of Overberg Water is mainly the provision of bulk drinking water to its customers. Viewing the location of OW schemes within the BOCMA area of jurisdiction naturally creates a symbiotic relation with the BOCMA in managing the water use. The following map shows and facilitates cooperative governance of water resources through the linking of National, Provincial and Local Government as well as a host of sector partners and stakeholders.