Level 5 water restrictions barely averted
Some bright spots on bleak drought landscape
ON the brink of escalating current water restrictions to Level 5 status, lead authority, the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS), was ‘saved by the bell’ by the good rains that fell in the Goedertrouw catchment area a week ago.
Speaking at the Water Crisis Task Team meeting held on Tuesday, DWS Chief Engineer: Water Use KZN, Norman Ward, said although the heavy rains predicted for December did not happen, the recent downpour offered some temporary relief.
‘We expect the dam level to rise to 20% by the end of January,’ he said.
This is still a critically low level and the Level 5 issue will again be assessed at the end of February.
Two other more promising updates were given.
Lake Mzingazi has risen to the point water could again be extracted for Mandlazini.
A 45-year-old steel pipe on the suction line is being refurbished and abstraction could begin by April.
Lake Cubu in eSikhaleni, which ran dry last year, is already overflowing thanks to coastal summer rains.
Engineers will investigate the possibility of pumping excess water from Lake Cubu into the Mhlathuze River above the weir, which would benefit agriculture and boost extraction to Lake Nsese for industry and residents.
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