Mossel Bay’s water restrictions to remain in place

Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Mossel Bay Municipality has confirmed that water restrictions will remain in place despite the recent improvements in rainfall and dam levels.

The municipality first implemented the water restrictions in Mossel Bay on 12 January, in response to a decrease in the town’s total available water supply to between 60% and 50% - the threshold at which restrictions are triggered in terms of the Municipality’s Water Demand Management Policy.

According to the municipality, the total combined full storage capacity of the three raw water storage dams is 29.49 million cubic meters.

The combined nett volume in these three storage dams as of 16 March is 16.09 million cubic meters. Therefore, the combined nett volume is 54.46% of the combined full storage volume.

“While current dam levels have shown recovery in some areas, the continuation of restrictions remains a precautionary and responsible step to protect the town’s long-term water security,” said the municipality.

Current water availability and outlook

The Wolwedans Dam currently stands at 60.83%, while the Klipheuwel Dam is at 16.17%, and the Ernest Robertson Dam at 94.99%.

However, the municipality has emphasised that lifting restrictions prematurely could place the water system at risk should rainfall patterns change or demand increase unexpectedly.

According to the municipality, assuming water consumption remains constant and no further rainfall occurs, Mossel Bay currently has some 380 days of water supply available.

The total volume of water in the Wolwedans, Klipheuwel and Ernest Robertson dams will be taken into account when determining the applicable restrictions and tariffs.

“The water restrictions will only be lifted once dam levels recover sufficiently and supply stability is assured,” said the municipality.

National state of disaster in effect

A national state of disaster as far as water availability is concerned was declared by the head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Elias Sithole, in parts of the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape, including the Mossel Bay municipal area, on 4 February.

Although Mossel Bay has been experiencing recent rainfall and has seen an improvement in dam levels as a result, this does not revoke the declaration.

The declaration remains in place until it is formally withdrawn by the National Disaster Management Centre, following a reassessment.

Until such time, all disaster-related measures remain applicable.

The national disaster declaration calls on municipalities, businesses, communities and individuals to strengthen water conservation efforts and reduce consumption.

The municipality has also encouraged Mossel Bay residents to continue using water sparingly. “While the recent rainfall is welcome, responsible water use remains essential to ensure a reliable supply for everyone in the months ahead.”

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