eThekwini Municipality areas to face 24-hour water shutdown on Tuesday. Image: Adobe Stock
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality held an urgent meeting to discuss the dire water crisis in Kwanobuhle. Dam levels continues to decline.
eThekwini Municipality areas to face 24-hour water shutdown on Tuesday. Image: Adobe Stock
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality water services department is preparing for the inevitable day that taps will run dry in Kwanobuhle. With dam levels below 5% and no significant rainfall expected in the next three months, the department held an urgent meeting to discuss the water crisis on Thursday, 15 April.
By July, no water is expected to come from the Kouga Dam.
Councillor Masixole Zinto, Mayoral Committee Member for Infrastructure and Engineering, said the situation was dire.
“We can only get water for Kwanobuhle from Kouga dam when it’s above 3%, once we pass that, we will run out of water. The situation is so dire, we need councillors to be on board to assist us in making our communities understand the crisis we are currently under. As we continue as normal, sooner than we think the whole City will be affected and will have serious negative economic effects.”
The Kouga Dam is critical in the Uitenhage area as water coming from the dam is pumped towards Uitenhage and surrounding areas.
Zinto said water tanks will be installed at strategic areas across Kwanobuhle to “augment the water supply when the area finally runs dry” amid the water crisis. The municipality will also accelerate the fixing of water leaks in Uitenhage and implement the following measures:
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