Water restrictions hit Harry Gwala district
The Harry Gwala district Municipality has become the latest to announced major water restrictions and the drought crisis intensifies in the KwaZulu-Natal.
Ixopo dam is the latest to reach a critically low level of 30% and mandatory curtailments in the distribution of water have commenced in earnest in the Harry Gwala District.
Areas to be affected include Ixopo town, Morningside, Fairview and Hospital areas. These water restrictions are being implemented to mitigate the risk to supply assurance in the short term and to prevent the taps from running dry.
“Water production in the Ixopo dam will be reduced from 2.8Ml/d to 2.5Ml/d as of today. Harry Gwala district has been in discussions with farmers upstream who have three dams to release immediately, but even with that plan it is necessary to implement water restrictions until the situation returns to normality,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
“As KZN Cogta we maintain that the current drought crisis requires all citizens of the province to play their part in conserving water because water is everybody’s business and government and sector stakeholders cannot conserve it alone. The department has contingency plans to ensure that no resident will go without water even when the taps begin to run dry” added Dube-Ncube.
“We need to save every drop because as of now every drop of water counts. The effects of climate change are with us as evidenced by the below average rainfall received during the winter season which has left a number of dams almost dry. KZN is on the red-code in as far as water is concerned and drastic interventions are being undertaken to manage the drought crisis,” said Dube-Ncube.
KZN Cogta’s teams will be moving between affected areas to monitor water usage. Water efficiency and water use educational programmes are being rolled out intensively while the department thanks all those who have made lifestyle changes to reduce their water consumption even as households and businesses are encouraged to implement various measures which include the re-use of water.
For more information contact:
KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso
Cell: 082 884 2403 or
Msawakhe Mayisela
Cell: 060 966 4220
