'No hope' for Ugu District Municipality water crisis
Ugu District Municipality residents are experiencing a water crisis, its
main source of water the Umzimkhulu River, has high levels of salinity at the
extraction point.
Water abstraction at the plant has not resumed leading to taps running dry in most areas between Hibberdene and Ramsgate.
Ugu's spokesperson Frans Zama says they are approaching day zero.
"We have been trying to monitor the situation in terms of the weather, but there is no hope I can tell you. Even the small rains we have right now, there won't be any significant impact in terms of us building our raw water so we could be able to have this Umzimkhulu river to flow," he said.
Zama says they will be briefing members of the public on their crisis management plan soon. In the meantime, they will continue to send water tankers to the affected areas.
"We are trying to come up with all scientific measures in terms of trying to alleviate this situation. Currently, we have contractors on site who are trying to raise the damn wall that we had already built in order to see if we cannot be able to block the salty water from pushing up into the extraction point."
Meanwhile, Water Minister Lindiwe Sisulu is urging South Africans to use water sparingly in order to avoid 'watershedding'.
On Monday, Sisulu gave a briefing on the urgent measures that need to be taken amid the country's water challenges.
She says climate change is reality and South Africa is affected by high temperatures that lead to water shortages. Authorities also predict low rainfall ahead of the summer season.
"As water users we have to handle the limited water resources what we have in a sustainable way, so as to prove our chances of securing water in the long term.”
“As a country, we cannot alter the climate system that has been influencing our weather for variability and conditions, however, we must do whatever is necessary to increasingly save the water that we have,” she said.
Rand Water CEO Sipho Mosai, says while there is enough potable water, consumers are using it fr all manner of things.
"We cannot be using water for any other use, other than drinking purposes and cooking. Sprinklers systems must be switched off. In the normal households, reduce the amount of time you take in the shower to two minutes," he said.
The department will unveil the national water and sanitation master plan next month.
