The drought-stricken Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) has confirmed that nine water expansion projects will be completed by the end of March 2023 to stem the current water crisis.
Nelson Mandela Bay is facing the most severe drought on record. It was on the brink of Day Zero in June 2022.
Together with the Department of Water and Sanitation, the metro has invested over R1.2-billion to implement a number of water expansion and drought mitigation projects across the city. The aim is to mitigate the effects of the drought on residents and cushion the city’s economy.
The municipality has revealed that it is upgrading bulk infrastructure and building nine borehole projects to supplement severely constrained dams.
According to NMBM executive mayor Retief Odendaal, the biggest of these projects is the Nooitgedacht water treatment works, which is supplied by the Gariep Dam in the Free State.
“The Nooitgedacht water treatment works currently supplies 70 Ml/day to the city, and once [work on it is] completed will be able to supply a total of 210 Ml/day,” he told Scrolla.Africa.
The municipality has confirmed that the national Department of Water and Sanitation is working on a long-term solution to the crisis.
The metro’s dam levels continue to drop, and are now at an alarmingly low 14.34%. Impofu Dam, the biggest dam that the city extracts water from, is at its lowest in history – a mere 7%, with less than 1% being available for extraction.
At present Nelson Mandela Bay’s high-lying areas are the most affected, receiving water intermittently.
City director of energy and infrastructure, Joseph Tsatsire, has warned that residents could see a discoloration of the water due to the low levels of water available for use. But he declared it safe for now.
“At present the water is safe to drink. However, once the dams have dried up, the quality of the water may decrease. But that will be communicated when the time comes,” said Tsatsire.
Meanwhile, Odendaal said the city is awaiting further instructions from the Department of Water and Sanitation that could see the city introducing more restrictions.
“It’s crunch time now; going forward things will be even more difficult. Residents need to use water sparingly; our dams are running dry and it’s only getting worse,” he concluded.
Pictured Above: NMBM mayor with energy and infrastructure contractors
Image source: Anita Dangazele
