The Nelson Mandela Bay metro has called all plumbing contractors they know, giving them five days to fix more than 3000 leaks as the city runs out of water. The metro is giving contractors until Friday in a desperate attempt to stop 40% of the city from funning out of water.
Water consumption in Nelson Mandela Bay has increased significantly, putting more pressure on an already thin System. The businesses and residents were estimated to be consuming roughly 60 megalitres more daily, which was “quite high and worrisome”, said Luvuyo Bangazi, the metro’s water crisis joint operations centre spokesperson.
He urged people to stop filling rainwater tanks with municipal water, saying that metro police to go after those who do that. “We have received reports from citizens of this happening,” he said.
“The urgent water supply situation is at a point where the metro is now finalising the standard operating procedures for communal water collection points (standpipes) and water tankers. These measures would come into effect to provide water for basic consumption needs in affected areas,” Bangazi said.
Two dams- Churchill and Impofu- collectively have about six days of water left. Loerie has about 35 days of water remaining, while Groendal has about 166 days of water left. “To avoid and push back dry taps, we need to be consuming far less water tan what we are currently consuming,” Bangazi said.
He added that metro police have been dispatched to investigate allegations of people stockpiling water in tanks. “These issues are being looked into… it is a serious issue. It is just not helpful for any citizen to be stockpiling municipal water into rainwater tanks.”
Source: News24, Daily Maverick, image from Daily Maverick: Deon Ferreira
