Water is so short in all four Alfred Nzo local municipalities that district authorities are carting water to thousands of residents in both towns and rural areas.In areas where dam levels have sunk too low, municipal bosses have instituted water restrictions.
This was revealed by Alfred Nzo district mayor Eunice Diko during a media briefing on Friday.
Alfred Nzo is one of the four Eastern Cape districts ravaged by drought.
Earlier last week, a national task team visited several water sources and agricultural projects in the district.
Diko confirmed that Ntabankulu, Umzimvubu, Matatiele and Mbizana water reserves were taking strain.
A hundred 10000-litre water tanks had been brought in and placed strategically in the affected areas.
“ is also affecting many health facilities across the district and these are critical centres of health in our communities,” she said.
“We are carting water to these health facilities.”
The mayor said many supply dams and boreholes were drying up.
Ntabankulu Dam, which supplies the urban centre of Ntabankulu and surrounding villages, had completely dried up.
It was closed when mud came out of the pump.
“Ntabankulu is being supplied by water carts from Mount Frere and Mount Ayliff,” said Diko.
Three water trucks, two donated by Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane late last year, were being used to fill up 25 strategically placed water tanks in Ntabankulu.
In Matatiele, there are also water restrictions and water is being brought in.
Restrictions have been in place in neighbouring Cedarville town since August.
“We have been turning off water at 10pm until 3am every day. But this in turn has resulted in numerous pipe-bursts and airlocks, as well as sewage blockages.”
Diko said 50 water tanks had been put up in Matatiele and four water trucks were supplying desperate residents. Restrictions had also been imposed in Umzimvubu, where the two main water sources – Mzin tlava river in Mount Ayliff and Ntenetyana dam in Mount Frere – were at low levels.
Ntenetyana dam was 35% full.
Diko said Mount Frere had had no rain for seven months and the town would run dry in two months if it did not rain.
Fifteen tanks have been provided and three municipal water trucks were carting in water.
In Mbizana, boreholes and natural springs were drying up, leaving the new Ludeke Dam as the main source of water for the town and surrounding areas.
But the dam’s level has dropped significantly in the past four months.
Diko said three trucks had been sent to Mbizana to supply 10 water tanks.
“We have formed a high-level task team to look at the best strategies to address the current situation,” said Diko.
Anyone wanting to drill a borehole must first consult municipal authorities so that proper tests could be conducted to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases, Diko said. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Water delivered as drought bites
In areas where dam levels have sunk too low, municipal bosses have instituted water restrictions.
This was revealed by Alfred Nzo district mayor Eunice Diko during a media briefing on Friday.
Alfred Nzo is one of the four Eastern Cape districts ravaged by drought.
Earlier last week, a national task team visited several water sources and agricultural projects in the district.
Diko confirmed that Ntabankulu, Umzimvubu, Matatiele and Mbizana water reserves were taking strain.
A hundred 10000-litre water tanks had been brought in and placed strategically in the affected areas.
“ is also affecting many health facilities across the district and these are critical centres of health in our communities,” she said.
“We are carting water to these health facilities.”
The mayor said many supply dams and boreholes were drying up.
Ntabankulu Dam, which supplies the urban centre of Ntabankulu and surrounding villages, had completely dried up.
It was closed when mud came out of the pump.
“Ntabankulu is being supplied by water carts from Mount Frere and Mount Ayliff,” said Diko.
Three water trucks, two donated by Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane late last year, were being used to fill up 25 strategically placed water tanks in Ntabankulu.
In Matatiele, there are also water restrictions and water is being brought in.
Restrictions have been in place in neighbouring Cedarville town since August.
“We have been turning off water at 10pm until 3am every day. But this in turn has resulted in numerous pipe-bursts and airlocks, as well as sewage blockages.”
Diko said 50 water tanks had been put up in Matatiele and four water trucks were supplying desperate residents. Restrictions had also been imposed in Umzimvubu, where the two main water sources – Mzin tlava river in Mount Ayliff and Ntenetyana dam in Mount Frere – were at low levels.
Ntenetyana dam was 35% full.
Diko said Mount Frere had had no rain for seven months and the town would run dry in two months if it did not rain.
Fifteen tanks have been provided and three municipal water trucks were carting in water.
In Mbizana, boreholes and natural springs were drying up, leaving the new Ludeke Dam as the main source of water for the town and surrounding areas.
But the dam’s level has dropped significantly in the past four months.
Diko said three trucks had been sent to Mbizana to supply 10 water tanks.
“We have formed a high-level task team to look at the best strategies to address the current situation,” said Diko.
Anyone wanting to drill a borehole must first consult municipal authorities so that proper tests could be conducted to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases, Diko said. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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