Nelson Mandela Bay: Water department to assist with water crisis

The Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation has announced plans to assist Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape in dealing with its water crisis as dam levels continue to plummet. Dam levels in the municipality are currently at 13%.

The drought stricken municipality has put measures in place to prepare for Day Zero and also announced a water crisis plan on Wednesday, 28 April.

WATER AND SANITATION DEPT TO ASSIST IN NMB CRISIS

In a press briefing held on Friday, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said the taps are not dry as yet and that she will also request the rollover of R183 million conditional grant the Treasury took from the municipality.

The municipality’s council recommended the construction of a desalination plant to deal with the drought but that project will be concluded in June 2022.

“We launched with great fanfare a desalination plant in Albany District about a year or so ago and I’m told now it has fallen into disrepair. We also do have experience of a desalination plant in the Western Cape. The mayor has assured me with the experience he has by his side we can avert all the experiences with had with the desalination plant,” Sisulu said.

NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY APPROACHING DAY ZERO

The Municipality said that it is currently experiencing a severe drought with its major storage dams supplying the metro at the lowest levels of all time.

“Capacity has dropped alarmingly and we all need to save water NOW to prevent our taps from running dry. With no clear indication of rain in the near future it is estimated that various areas in the municipality will run dry as the water levels drop to levels too low to extract water from our dams.

“If consumption is not cut to 250 mega litres per day, areas such as KwaNobuhle and St. Albans will be without water as soon as July!  Other areas will soon follow in August and September.”