THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s dam levels are fast approaching the 20% mark as their combined levels reached 24% last week.
In a statement, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor Athol Trollip said, although the Nooitgedacht Low Level Water Scheme will provide additional water security to Nelson Mandela Bay, not all supply sources can be supplemented from the same water system. “As a result, further water restrictions will inevitably follow if the situation deteriorates even further.
“With only 10.29% of recorded water supply, Kouga Dam is the most affected, while Churchill Dam languishes at 18.08%.
On Monday, the other dams, namely Groendal and Impofu, had a recorded supply of 48.11% and 36.55%, which Trollip called “a clear sign of hard times ahead”.
He said the city would need to strengthen its water conservation efforts to avert a looming disaster.
“With no prediction of meaningful rains soon, the new water levels call for a renewed sense of commitment from all metro residents, businesses and other relevant stakeholders. While we acknowledge the impact the municipality’s water-saving awareness campaigns have had since their initial roll-out, the metro continues to experience high water consumption from both domestic users and businesses,” he said.
Trollip said, as the administration, they wished to make a clarion call on residents to assist in preventing a drought disaster by monitoring their household consumption and further tightening water conservation efforts.
“We also appreciate the continued vigilance from residents who are consistently reporting water leaks. Through their efforts, we have been able to repair 5 938 water leaks during the first three months of 2018.
“Our efforts to save water have been supported by both internal plumbing teams and appointed contractors,” Trollip said.
