Potable tap water in Knysna has been unsuitable for drinking. Image: Pixabay
Salty tap water in the Garden Route? Here’s why
Residents in the Garden Route have been puzzled by the salinity of the potable water coming out of their taps.
Potable tap water in Knysna has been unsuitable for drinking. Image: Pixabay
On Sunday, residents in Knysna began to notice that the water coming out of their taps had a salty taste to it. The problem persisted on Monday as many residents began to look to alternative sources for potable water.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Freak waves of storm surge hit Garden Route
On Saturday, parts of the Garden Route were battered by a powerful and destructive storm surge combined with a spring high tide. To add in-salt to injury, residents now have saline water coming out of their faucets.
The two are, in fact, related.
ALSO READ: LOOK: Aftermath of DESTRUCTION caused by storm surge
On Monday the Knysna Municipality released a public notice, explaining the reason behind the local water issue.
“We are aware that our potable water tastes slightly more saline than usual, and are working on fixing this issue. The recent high sea tides has pushed salt water upstream.
We apologise for any inconvenience this external factor may have caused our residents.”
Saturday’s storm surge and spring high tide left a trail of destruction along parts of the southern coast. Parked vehicles were washed away, properties were damanged and in some instances people were evacuated.
ALSO READ: ‘Looks like a tsunami’: South Africans react to high tides in Cape Town
Videos and photos shared on social media showed massive waves lifting stationary vehicles in Gordon’s Bay, Stilbaai, Mossel Bay and Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town. In the Eastern Cape, Mangolds Pool Resort experienced its fair share of damage.
Due to the high swells, high winds and some rain overnight on Friday, Knysna was also struck by localised flooding. This included Old Cape Road, Waterfront Drive and various parts of Leisure Isle.
WATER SECURITY UNDER THREAT
ALSO READ: Knysna residents face a day without power
Knysna is no stranger to water supply issues, despite relatively good rainfall in the area. The municipality has been on level 3 water restrictions since December 2022 and continual power cuts are compounding matters.
The reason being, power is required to pump water from low-level sources, such as rivers, to consumers who are situated higher up. Read more on this here.
