
The department of water and sanitation is warning of a decline in the province’s dam levels and, while the Chris Hani region is holding steady, vandalism of water infrastructure in a concern.
In a press statement this week, the department said despite recent rains in some parts of the province there had been little impact on water levels as they has continued on to decline, dropping from 50.5% last week to 50.2%.
Komani dams have held steady with Xonxa still at 95% and Bonkolo at 55%. The Whittlesea dams are still low, with Waterdown hovering at 21% while Oxkraal is at 30%. The Doornrivier Dam at Indwe is 90.88% and Molteno’s Paradise Dam is at 90%.
Chris Hani District Municipality spokesperson, Bulelwa Ganyaza, said the chief concern in water provision for the region had become the vandalism of infrastructure which was causing water supply shortages.
“The district is currently experiencing high incidents of theft and vandalism of water infrastructure which are targeted by vandals. This has resulted in massive infrastructure damage, prompting unplanned water supply interruptions and recurring sewer spillages. These incidents also leave permanent damage and adversely affect the municipality’s finances due to costly replacements and repairs.
“Currently we have an incident at Who-Can-Tell, Whittlesea, where one of the boreholes was ransacked and major elements removed. The district has made provision but this is also not adequate as the area is vast and demand is high. We have experienced this at the Mlungisi pump station where vandals also caused destruction on the fence through forced entry,” she said.
The municipality requests anyone who has information about these incidents to report them on the care line 0800-100 100.