Water Department to investigate Eastern Cape dam amid fears of collapse

Heavy rains in the Eastern Cape have prompted officials to inspect a privately owned dam.

The Tiryville Dam near Kariega had been reported as being at risk of bursting after storms caused flooding which has seen the death of at least 10 people.  

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has sent engineers to inspect the irrigation dam to share advice on safety protocols.

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As a precautionary measure, roughly 200 families from a settlement downstream have been moved to a place of safety.

As the concrete dam is privately owned, the DWS does not have historical information on its condition, but feels it necessary to treat the situation as high risk.

“At this moment details of the owner of the farm dam are not known as the dam is not registered as a dam with a safety risk with the DWS dam safety office. An update will be provided as soon as the investigation is finalised,” stated Wisane Mavasa, spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation.

More severe weather forecast for Eastern Cape

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued an orange level six warning for disruptive rain expected on 5 and 6 June.

This could see further flooding of settlements, roads, and bridges. Some communities are already in dire straits, and warnings have been issued for the coastal and adjacent interior of the Eastern Cape.

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A yellow level two warning for a storm surge was issued for residents along the coast between Plettenberg Bay and East London.

A yellow level four warning was issued for the south-western parts of the Western Cape and the southern parts of the Eastern Cape.

This warning advises residents and motorists to be aware of localised flooding of roads and dangerous driving conditions.

The warnings come with advisories for damaging winds leading to difficulty in navigation at sea for small vessels and personal watercraft operating between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas and between Plettenberg Bay and Algoa Bay.

• Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba