The drought situation around uThukela District Municipality is not getting any better as yet. The hot, dry and windy weather conditions have negatively impacted on a terrible drought situation faced by the district. With no rainfall in sight, the situation has prompted the municipality to intensify its water restrictions to manage water supply as we now do not have enough in our reservoirs.
Water levels in our rivers and dams have dropped drastically. We are now abstracting less water from the rivers than normal. Some households that are relying on piped water system have been affected.The situation has now escalated to a point that even in those areas that are relying on ground water some have experienced dry taps. As a result, water restrictions will now be intensified in all areas.
The Department of Water and Technical Services are continuously pumping water to fill the lower reservoirs at the water treatment plants. New water shedding schedules have been implemented. Once a day, for a maximum of six hours, water is pumped to the main reservoirs in the district. It will happen that in some areas people receive water supply at least once in two days.
Water restrictions will heavily depend on how soon we get enough rains to replenish our rivers and dams so as to be uplifted. There are areas that are without normal water supply across the district. However, there are plans in place to supply water using water tankers in the most affected areas.
The situation remains critical and communities are therefore requested and advised to use water sparingly during this demanding period of drought. People are also encouraged to store water in containers once they have water running. This will assist in terms of having enough water in households in times of unexpected water cuts.