KZN rivers running dry

Professor Faizal Bux, who is the director at the Institute for Water and Waste Water Technology at the Durban University of Technology, says they have found a number of contributing factors to the threat.

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Bux says these include the erratic weather patterns the province has been experiencing.

"If you look at the consumption of water from rivers, the water levels are a bit low [right now], largely because we are a summer rainfall region," said Bux.

"Also the erratic weather patterns we have experienced over the last few years -- we get excessive amounts of rain in short periods of time, but sometimes we don't get any rain and we have droughts. I think that is one of the contributing factors, largely due to climate change."

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"Many of the rivers are really not looking good."

The warning comes despite recent reports by the Water Department stating that dam levels in the province were sitting at a healthy 60 percent average capacity.

According to Umgeni Water's official website, Midmar dam near Howick in the Midlands is currently sitting at 95.78 percent.

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Albert Falls is below the 40 percent mark, while Hazelmere is sitting at around 41.42 percent.

** These figures were correct as of Friday, 13 September 2019. For a full review of the province's dam levels, click here.