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Johannesburg - Thousands of people have signed a petition demanding the cancellation of water slide event, Slide the City, prompting organisers to give the assurance that any water used would be recycled back into the supply network.
This comes as the country faces a looming water crisis.
A total of 4 504 people had signed the petition by Monday afternoon.
"Citizens are being told to use water responsibly and sparingly, to understand the value of water, but at the same time government is allowing an event to take place using 30 000 to 40 000 litres of water per event," reads the motivation for the petition, posted at www.thepetitionsite.com.
"Farmers is (sic) struggling to find enough water resources and in the end this is going to have a big impact on our food supplies and prices."
It was announced in September that Slide the City, one of the longest commercial water slides in the world, would be in South Africa from December 12, starting in Port Elizabeth.
Event organisers ‘mindful of water needs’
The event, which is organised by Media24, would also take place in Ballito, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Knysna, Pretoria, and Nelspruit.
However, Slide the City said it was mindful of water needs especially in drought-stricken areas.
"We are committed to having zero environmental impact on the communities we're in," said organiser Minette Ferreira.
"We want to provide a safe and sustainable experience for all of our participants and therefore one of our main concerns is responsible water usage."
Slide the City explained where it would source the water for the events.
It said it would be "borrowing" an average of 35 000 litres of water from municipalities and put through the slide's circulation system during the event.
Slide the City would work with municipal officials to ensure proper water control.
In Ballito the water would come from the Sugar Rush Park borehole and would later be circulated back into the water system after going through a filtration system.
In Cape Town spring water would be transported to the event and in Johannesburg, Knysna, Pretoria, Nelspruit and Port Elizabeth the fire department would provide water.
‘Water shedding’
After the event, the water used in these six cities would be out through the filtration system and then put in tankers and delivered to the municipality to be used where needed, said Slide the City.
According to the organiser, the slide was designed to recycle water throughout the day instead of pumping new water into the slide.
The petition has called the event unnecessary, saying the water could be put to better use.
"Water shedding" is taking place in parts of KwaZulu-Natal as a result of drought and the rest of SA isn't far behind.
The petition said the same event, which was to take place in Los Angeles, California in the United States was cancelled.
"I really hope we as South Africans can see the bigger picture and not allow the event Slide the City to take place anywhere in South Africa."
- News24 is a part of 24.com which is a subsidiary of Media24.
