DURBAN will be getting less water supplies as authorities try to reduce water consumption amid a drought that has seen the province’s dams drop to precariously low levels.
eThekwini Municipal spokesman Thulani Mbatha said in a statement released on Friday that supplies of water to the municipality will be restricted from between 9pm and 4am to allow Midmar and Albert Falls dams to replenish.
“It is necessary to reduce water supply and demand in areas that are supplied from the Midmar and Albert Falls Dam Systems. This will be achieved by limiting water supply at night between 21h00 and 04h00 in the morning to allow the reservoirs to fill up for the next day,” he said.
He said the restrictions on supplies would start on Friday night.
Midmar Dam supplies water to areas such as Pinetown, Cato Ridge, KwaXimba, Umbumbulu, Georgedale, Hammarsdale, Shongweni, Salem, Umlazi and parts of Folweni.
Albert Falls Dam supplies areas such as Durban North, Umhlanga, Verulam, KwaMashu, Ntuzuma, Newlands, Westville, Reservoir Hills, KwaDabeka, Clermont, Pinetown, Queensburgh, Chatsworth, Umlazi and parts of Folweni.
He said that Midmar Dam was at 46 percent of its capacity while Albert Falls Dam had dropped to 34 percent of its capacity.
“Other initiatives by the municipality to achieve the saving of water include pressure reduction, installation of water meter restrictors, fines and penalties for those with high water usage,” he said. – ANA
