Durban - The real impact of the drought hit Pietermaritzburg hard on Thursday when without warning many areas had not a drop of water during the day because some core reservoirs had dried up.
The city said it was a struggle to balance supply against demand. They appealed for patience from consumers.
The latest available levels of dams in the Mooi/Mgeni system were Albert Falls at 33.9%, Midmar 45.8%, Inanda Dam 77%, Mearns Dam 26.3%, Nagle Dam 81% and Spring Grove 81%.
Many Pietermaritzburg residents feared there would be no water indefinitely, but reasoned that the municipality would have warned them beforehand if that was the case.
Some speculated that the dry taps had to do with a burst pipe or repairs to the water infrastructure.
Cindy Ndlovu of Bisley thought water shedding had begun during the day and asked why the municipality had not released schedules so that she could plan around it.
The city’s water users were warned last week by the municipality that water shedding would take place from this week, at night.
Areas that had no water on Thursday included Bisley, Clarendon, Cleland, Willowton, the CBD, Montrose, Eastwood, Mountain Rise, Boughton, Hayfields, Mkondeni, Chase Valley and Northdale.
Many schools in the areas closed for the day because there was no water and the wheels of justice at the local magistrate’s court ground to a halt.
Municipal spokesperson Nqobile Madonda said the water and sanitation department was juggling, trying to balance the supply.
The reservoirs ran dry because of the reduced supply from Umgeni Water coupled with an increase in demand from consumers.
She appealed to the public to use water sparingly and be tolerant while the municipality undertook operating adjustments to its system.
Madonda said she expected that the system should stabilise by Thursday night.
The Mercury