Durban - Ilembe Municipal council and water services authorities are working towards a solution to the water crisis around the province.
The crisis has led authorities to enforce water restrictions and a number of consumers have been penalised for irresponsible usage in the past few weeks.
In a joint media briefing held by ILembe District Municipality, Umgeni Water and Sembcorp Siza Water on Tuesday, consumers were urged to adhere to the water restrictions imposed by municipalities.
Briefing the media at ILembe District municipality on the impending crisis on Tuesday, mayor Welcome Mdabe said with the scarcity of rain and failure by consumers to conserve water after the appeal by local government, the situation was not getting any better.
Thirty-six water tankers were hired to deliver water throughout the district.
He said the situation was dire in the Dolphin Coast areas such as Ballito, Zimbali, Salt Rock, Shakaskraal, Nkobongo, Shayamoya, eTete, Sheffield Beach, Chaka’s Rock and Shakashead.
These areas are serviced by Sembcorp Siza Water, a water services provider which relies on Hazelmere Dam for its supply.
eThekwini Metro shares the Hazelmere Dam water with iLembe.
Mdabe said the metro had started implementing water restrictions in areas north of Durban, including oThongathi (Tongaat), Westbrook, Waterloo and Verulam.
“Indwedwe, kwaMaphumulo and Mandeni areas are greatly affected. Indwedwe, which gets 70 percent of its water from Hazelmere Dam, relies on the tankers which travel 150 kilometres to get water from Nsuze River to the area, which is a challenge in terms of delivery time,” Mdabe said.
He said there had been minimal improvement in Maphumulo with the Mvotshane River now being augmented through the Hlimbithwe River. ILembe treats 5 million litres of water a day from this river.
The expected visitors during the festive season and new developments in Ballito, were adding to the problem he said.
Mdabe, who also chairs the South African Local Government Association, said the association was assisting water services authorities in municipalities with regards to sea desalination.
“All districts will report to cabinet in February 2015 on two master plans which are water conversation and demand management plan, and the desalination proposal. Water services authorities in all districts are waiting for a drought relief fund from the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the National Treasury,” he said.
He said R293 million had been set aside by cabinet for disaster relief and the iLembe District’s share was R70m.
Cogta spokesman, Lennox Mabaso, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Corporate stakeholder manager for Umgeni Water, Shami Harichunder, said the Hazelmere Dam was sitting at 43 percent of its capacity.
“If we don’t save water now, and we don’t get enough rain, roughly in 100 days from now there will be no water in the dam,” Harichunder said.
Siza Water, which services between 65 000 and 70 000 people in Ballito and Etete, said its teams moved from area to area to monitor water usage.
Its technical manager, Kobus Fourie, said a fine for those who failed to adhere to the restrictions was a minimum of R3 000.
“Imposing fines is a last resort. We do that when there is physical proof of non-compliance with the restrictions. With our big customers we look at the consumption and a calculation is made based on that,” Fourie said.
Daily News