Val de Vie, the home of the excellent Jack Nicklaus signature designed Pearl Valley Golf Course, explains how they are coping with the Cape water crisis in an effort to continue providing a first-class experience.
Val de Vie implemented a private Water Purification Plant in December 2017. This plant purifies groundwater and supplies the estate with water for household consumption. In partnership, the Drakenstein Municipality and Val de Vie have acted proactively to ensure that Val de Vie is entirely ‘water independent’ and the water that would have been used by the estate can now be used for other needy areas in the municipality.
Val de Vie is home to the Pearl Valley Golf Course, featuring a Jack Nicklaus Signature course. The golf course is not only a massive tourist attraction, but also provides permanent jobs to hundreds of people. The irrigation footprint of the golf course has been decreased by one third over the past summer season, in an attempt to lower consumption levels. Irrigation technology, combined with strategic implementation and consultation, takes place over a 24-hour period on the estate.
Water used for golf course and polo fields irrigation is a combination of groundwater, grey water and water from the Berg River.
‘We aim to continue to provide golfers with a first-class experience, amid the challenging weather conditions we are facing,’ said Damian Wrigley, Director of Golf at Pearl Valley Golf Course at Val de Vie.
Val de Vie is committed to responsible water usage and compliance with the restrictions imposed by the Department of Water and Sanitation, Drakenstein Municipality and the Berg River Irrigation Board. Current Level 6 water restrictions imposed by the Western Cape remain in full effect on the estate. Water management on the estate is sensitively managed and dispersed via a state of the art central computerised system. Licensed groundwater usage is also centrally managed, prohibiting any private boreholes. All new homes built on Val de Vie are required to have a grey water system installed.
Val de Vie is a proud pioneer in the conservation of water as a natural resource and providing life giving water not only to families on the estate, but also to the greater Drakenstein community.
