Umgeni Water ‘extremely’ worried about KZN dams

Umgeni Water has warned it is ‘extremely’ concerned by levels at the Midmar and Albert Falls dams, which feed Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

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Durban - The taps have run dry in Greytown in the KwaZulu-Natal interior, and Umgeni Water has warned it is “extremely” concerned by levels at the Midmar and Albert Falls dams, which feed Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Umgeni Water on Monday called on consumers to cut consumption to stave off “acute water shortages” in the province’s two biggest cities.

Early on Sunday, the Umvoti Municipality, which has a population of more than 100 000, cut water to taps in Greytown and its surrounds.

Residents who had previously received tap water for only four hours a day - between 4am and 8am - were now relying on JoJo tanks.

Head of disaster and fire at Umvoti, Bheki Vilakazi, said the municipality had only about 16 functioning boreholes and these were insufficient to replenish the local reservoir and meet demand.

Lake Merthley, which had supplied water to Greytown, dried up last year.

Vilakazi said the Muden waterworks, 24km north-west of Greytown, were supplying water tankers.

These trucked water to the JoJo tanks in Greytown and the townships of Nhlalakahle, Solomon Mzolo and France.

The municipality has installed about 100 JoJo tanks since April last year.

Vilakazi pleaded with residents to use water sparingly and railed against the theft and damage of water tanks and infrastructure.

“People vandalising the tanks (by stabbing them), and those stealing taps from the tanks should stop doing this, and start treating this infrastructure with respect as they would their own property.

“Other people steal the entire tanks, and this leaves us baffled as to where to store the water that is meant to assist the community in this crisis,” Vilakazi said.

He also urged motorists to preserve water by not washing their cars at the tanks.

KZN is in the grip of a drought with winter rains proving insufficient to ease the crisis as the authorities press ahead with measures to restrict supply.

There was, however, an improvement in the level of the Hazelmere Dam and small dams on the South Coast.

Shami Harichunder, spokesman for bulk supplier Umgeni Water, said they had been forced to reduce potable water production at a number of their plants in the province.

Water production at the Hazelmere - which supplies parts of north Durban - and Ixopo water treatment plants had been cut by half. And a 15% reduction was in place at Midmar, DV Harris, Durban Heights, Wiggins, and eManzimtoti treatments plants.

“Government-gazetted restrictions of 50% are in place in the north of eThekwini and iLembe, and there are 15% restrictions at uMgungundlovu, Msunduzi, the rest of eThekwini and north of Ugu.

“To ensure there remains enough water in dams until the next rains, water restrictions and a reduction in consumption by consumers are necessary,” Harichunder said on monday.

He said they were “extremely” concerned by the dam levels at the Midmar and Albert Falls dams.

He said that because of the low level of Midmar Dam, a reduced volume was being released from Albert Falls, which is a holding dam, and the main source of supply to Nagle Dam.

The failure of Albert Falls Dam would lead to serious implications for Nagle Dam, and subsequently Durban, he said.

Harichunder said that as of Sunday the level of Midmar Dam was at 45.6%.

“A year ago, the level of this dam was at 74.1%. That reflects the extent to which Midmar Dam catchments have been affected by the lack of rain.

“If the stringent water conservation by consumers does not happen, the effects will be seen in the fast reducing levels of Midmar, Albert and Nagle dams and the possibility of many parts of Durban and Pietermaritzburg facing acute water shortages,” said Harichunder.

He said the level of the Hazelmere Dam was at 46.3% on Monday, an improvement on the 29.8% a year ago.

The improvement was due to rainfall early last month, however, he warned that the dam remained “critically short of normal demand”.

Spring Grove Dam was at 97.4% a year ago, but on Monday Umgeni Water confirmed that it was at 66.9%.

The water level at Mearns Dam was recorded at 35.2%, a drop of 41.7 from last year.

“Spring Grove and Mearns are small dams which deplete rapidly,” added Harichunder.

He said there had been improvements in the levels of some smaller dams on the South Coast thanks to last month’s rains, but he cautioned these fill up as rapidly as they deplete.

Andrew Gordon, owner of the Lord Grey Guest House in Greytown, said the 110-year-old bed and breakfast was going to considerable lengths - and expense - to keep going despite the drought.

He said they were going through 10 000 litres of water - stored in two JoJo tanks - every week.

Gordon said they bought the water from a local company at a cost of R1 000 a week.

He said they were also supplying bought bottled water to ensure the needs of guests at the 14-sleeper establishment were met.

“In the next month we want to do away with the bathtubs in the guest house, and install showers with energy efficient heads throughout the guest house.

“We will recycle the grey water (waste water) from the showers to flush our toilets.”

He said it was challenging for the business to spend so much on water.

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