Hazelmere dam has dropped from 40.4 percent on December 11 last year to 37.5 on January 6.
This is in stark contrast to December 2013 when the dam was at 101 percent capacity.
Umgeni Water Corporate Stakeholder Manager, Shami Harichunder said augmentation initiatives are being explored by Umgeni Water.
Harichunder said a committee has been formed to monitor and manage the effects of the prevailing drought. Umgeni Water and the water services authorities for the Hazelmere Water Works supply areas (Ethekwini Water and Sanitation, Sembcorp Siza Water and Ilembe District Municipality) meet bi-monthly to make decisions relating to the management of water resources.
The level of the Hazelmere dam continues to drop by one percent every six to seven days due to consumption and evaporation caused by high temperatures.
“The Hazelmere area and its catchment are in a state of drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon and weather experts predict good rainfalls only towards the end of February or March,” said Harichunder.
The water services authorities continue to urge consumers to use water sparingly and reduce their water consumption by 30 percent.
Harichunder explained that a dam reaches dead storage at 15 percent which means raw water in the dam is no longer usable or becomes expensive to treat.
Harichunder said Umgeni Water is currently exploring three main augmentation initiatives to pump more water into the Hazelmere Dam and prevent a future repeat of the current water shortages:
1. The Lower Thukela bulk water supply scheme is currently under construction at Mandeni.
This R2 billion project when completed will supply high quality drinking water to parts of the Ilembe District and will be able to take water as far as Ballito in the event of future water shortages.
“Much, if not all, of the water shortages that are currently being experienced in parts of the Ilembe district will cease to exist,” said Harichunder.
The project is due for completion in March 2016.
2. A desalination plant north of Durban – the feasibility study has not been completed yet.
3. Umgeni Water is currently investigating both the feasability and possibility of abstracting water from the Tongathi River to augment supply to the Hazelmere water works.
Two possible options are being investigated. One is to draw water from the Tongathi River and pump it through a three and a half kilometer pipeline to reach the Hazelmere water works and the other is to carry this water to a river that flows into the Hazelmere dam through a seven kilometer pipeline.
“Both options are presently under investigation and all formalities and consultations will be completed before a decision is taken,” said Harichunder.
He said if implemented, the transfer of water from the Tongathi River will augment water resources that are currently available for treatment at the Hazelmere water works.
