COVID-19 impacts dam levels in Nelson Mandela Bay

Prior the 21-day nationwide lockdown, the combined level of Nelson Mandela Bay’s four major storage dams were 25.05%. Thirteen days later, the dam levels decreased to 23.77%.

According to the municipal statement issued on Monday, the level of the Kouga Dam is 14.58%, the Churchill is at 73.62%, Impofu 16.55% and Groendal 38.75%.

Nelson Mandela Bay faces ‘two disasters’

Andile Lungisa, the region’s infrastructure and engineering political head, told Herald Live that the city is facing “two disasters”, both with dire consequences.

Lungisa explained the the “drought and COVID-19 will be devastating on different fronts” and added that the outbreak is also hampering the teams “efforts to fix leaks and stop water wastage”.

“COVID-19 has hampered our efforts to fix leaks and stop water wastage. We can’t deploy people all over the city”.

A project which kicked off in February 2020 when it was decided that seven contractors would be deployed to fix more than 10 000 leaks is currently on hold due to the lockdown.

Leak contractors not essential services

Lungisa explained that the contractors and leak repairs were not considered as essential service, and added that emergency workers are only allowed to “fix major pipes or damaged water channels”.

“We are losing water due to leaks during the lockdown. That is a reality we face.”

However, the Democratic Alliance argues that the matter could have been resolved if the Metro had been proactive and taken measures to mitigate the water crisis.

Despite the spike in water consumption during the lockdown, Lungisa emphasis the importance hygiene: “But people must not stop washing their hands”.

DA calls for stringent action before it’s too late

DA councillor Masixole Zinto said the “fact is that additional plumbers could have been appointed in February already, long before the breakdown”. Zinto adds:

“The argument that water consumption in households has increased, is mitigated by the fact that water consumption at local businesses, who have been forced to close their doors during the lockdown, would have decreased”.

He went on to say that MMC Lungisa argument is short-sighted and that he would “use any excuse available” rather than take “proactive measures to address the issue.

The DA’s Eastern Cape Provincial Leader, Nqaba Bhanga, said in March 2019 that the Nelson Mandela Bay area “grew to be the second most-trusted metro in the country in 2017”.

“The lack of confidence from investors is not surprising. This is due to the complete lack of leadership under the ANC-led coalition of corruption that has been running rampant, putting their own needs above that of the city”.

Even though dams are a key component of the Nelson Mandela Bay’s water supply, approximately 60% comes from the Nooitgedacht works in Addo.

The Nooitgedacht, in turn, receives its supply from the Orange River via the Gariep Dam, 400km of canals and tunnels as well as the Scheepersvlakte Dam.