Estate . Through the use of established boreholes , a water purification plant , wastewater treatment for recycling and re-use as well as storm water harvesting , the estate is able to ensure sustainable water usage .
‘ We realised early on that a lack of appreciation for our resources , one being water , would negatively impact the estate ’ s sustainability and future value ,’
Uys adds . ‘ Our aim is to ensure that , at Arabella , we do our utmost to reduce our demands on the Western Cape ’ s precious water supplies and keep our estate functioning at the highest standards .’
rest is provided by an on-site dam . ‘ Those boreholes are all monitored in detail ,’ Parsons says .
Over the years , Arabella has consistently been awarded full ISO 14001 Certification , which is an international standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system . This helps to improve environmental performance through more efficient use of resources , and reduction of waste , enabling the estate to identify , manage , monitor and control environmental issues in a holistic manner . Like all ISO management system standards , ISO 14001 includes the need for continual improvement of an organisation ’ s systems and approach to environmental concerns . We take a reading on the groundwater level every three hours , and other measurements are taken every day , so it ’ s intensely monitored . Arabella ’ s estate management team really do a good job of this , and I have to compliment them on the way they manage their water . As you can imagine with the drought , everybody has been very nervous about water usage , but Arabella ’ s groundwater supply has not been impacted in the least . We have increased the frequency of monitoring and reporting , just to keep an eye on it , and there have been absolutely no issues .
A recent study by Parsons and Associates confirmed that this careful management of the estate ’ s groundwater supply scheme has resulted in groundwater successfully meeting the estate ’ s water demand , with no apparent negative or significant impacts . Based on the results of the monitoring from October 1997 to the present , it can be seen that Arabella Country Estate is using their groundwater resource sustainably – in spite of three successive years of below-average rainfall .
‘ Over the past 20 years we have taken action to forge longterm sustainable plans regarding water and our immediate environment to ensure sustainability , and to mitigate many future issues ,’ says Dirk Uys , Estate Manager for Arabella Country
Between its 18-hole championship golf course , its 237 freehold lifestyle estate properties , and its fully fitted 145-room luxury hotel and spa , Arabella experiences a high demand on its water supply . The golf course , naturally , is particularly thirsty . However , Parsons says that the estate ’ s management teams work closely together to ensure that everybody shares the water fairly and sensibly . ‘ Arabella has a system whereby the different components of the estate – the hotel , the home owners and the golf course – all get charged for water ,’ he says . ‘ The water supply is very tightly managed between those three components , and everybody has come to the party to ensure that the water supply is managed responsibly .’
Ultimately , Parsons says , the secret to Arabella ’ s success lies in how they have devised a plan for sustainable groundwater management , and then worked to develop and maintain that system . ‘ The system works ,’ he says , ‘ and that ’ s largely due to their attitude and approach . They take great care and pride in the way they manage their resources , and because of that they ’ re in great shape .’ www . arabellacountryestate . co . za
33