THE KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has appealed to residents and businesses in the province’s drought affected municipalities to adhere to the stricter water restrictions.
“We call on all KZN residents and business to familiarise themselves with the water restrictions and to comply, as at times these may be upgraded to higher levels as a way of ensuring that taps do not run dry,” said Cogta MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube.
“Many of our municipalities have implemented water efficient infrastructure in a bid to save water. We must expect that water pressure will be reduced in almost all KZN municipalities. We must look out for leaks and report them immediately,” he added.
He also appealed to the agricultural sector to begin making preparations for the upcoming winter season as he believes this sector will remain under pressure. “Municipalities must publish all water restriction time schedules and make sure that communities are informed.
As government, we are continuing with our drought relief plan. We will be supplying more water tankers, drilling more boreholes, installing pipelines, water treatment works and desalination plants.
“We thank our residents and businesses for observing the existing water restrictions imposed by municipalities and we urge them to do so for a little while longer as the dry season approaches. We appreciate what has largely been a model consumer behaviour on the part of the public,” said Dube-Ncube.
Based on past experience, KZN Cogta anticipates significantly lower levels of rainfall across the province and in regions worst affected by the drought as winter approaches.
The drier conditions will mean that KZN’s depleted water reservoirs will not be replenished adequately.
“This is the longest drought in living memory and has taught us the virtues of cooperation between various consumers of water services. We are working with limited and, in some instances, diminishing supplies of water and it is imperative that the interests of households are weighed fairly against those of businesses,” said Dube-Ncube.
The KZN Cogta will embark on a drought awareness campaign ahead of and during the winter season to sensitise all municipal residents and businesses operating in drought affected municipalities to the need to continue to save water.
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