While Buffalo City Municipality warned residents last week to prepare for a drought in the coming months should the region not receive a substantial amount of rain soon, it announced it had hired water leak agents in a bid to halt water leaks across the metro.
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said: “We have hired five water leak agents for the 50 wards so that we avoid losing water, but this is not something the city can do on its own, we need behavioural change as well.”
Yesterday BCM executive mayor Xola Pakati visited Immaculate Conception Parish Catholic Church in East London CBD to join Father Peter Whitehead and the congregation in prayer for rain.
At the church service Pakati said: “Our dam levels are very low. Our animals are suffering because there is a scarcity of food which will affect production.
“We are grateful for the space created for us to pray against the drought. We should reach out to communities and churches in particular to help us as a city.
“Prayers are very helpful so that the all mighty God can hear our prayers and deliver us the rain,” Pakati said.
According to a statement by Ngwenya the recent rains had done little to alleviate the dire water situation in the region.
“The recent rain only moistened the surface according to our engineers. We need good floods, not devastating floods.”
Level 1 water restrictions were introduced to the city as per a council resolution passed on June 28 and further restrictions will follow should rains not come. Level one restrictions include that:
lPrivate gardens and lawns; commercial nurseries, market gardens and turf-growing businesses may only be watered between 7am and 10am. At all times gardens and lawns may only be watered without causing pooling or runoff.
lExisting pools must not be either emptied or refilled without written exemption and any pool not previously filled must not be filled without written exemption. Previously filled pools may be topped up using a hand-held hose.
lWater storage tanks, dams, and lakes must not be filled or topped up other than with non-potable water.
lVehicles if not washed at a commercial car wash should be washed on a lawn or other porous surface and then may only be washed, not more than once per week, by using: (i) a bucket or watering can; (ii) a high-pressure low-volume cleaner; or (iii) a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle.
lWindows and buildings can be washed at any time but only with a bucket and mop, squeegee or brush or with a high-pressure low-volume cleaner. Otherwise, water must not be used unless necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency.
Should water restrictions not be complied with punitive tariffs can be charged.
“Punitive tariffs are linked to the volumes which would be what people pay currently for water as well as the additions on how much water they use extra, which would be charged,” said Ngwenya.
The dam levels last week stood at 43 for Bridle Drift Dam, 62.6 for Nahoon Dam and 68.4 at Wriggleswade Dam.
While the percentages may seem high it is virtually impossible to extract usable water in the bottom part of any dam so when they hit below a particular percentage it would mean BCM will face a definite drought.
lReport water leaks to BCM call centre: 086-111-3017
— oriellya@tisoblackstar.co.za
lSee page 4 for picture
Mayor prays for rain
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said: “We have hired five water leak agents for the 50 wards so that we avoid losing water, but this is not something the city can do on its own, we need behavioural change as well.”
Yesterday BCM executive mayor Xola Pakati visited Immaculate Conception Parish Catholic Church in East London CBD to join Father Peter Whitehead and the congregation in prayer for rain.
At the church service Pakati said: “Our dam levels are very low. Our animals are suffering because there is a scarcity of food which will affect production.
“We are grateful for the space created for us to pray against the drought. We should reach out to communities and churches in particular to help us as a city.
“Prayers are very helpful so that the all mighty God can hear our prayers and deliver us the rain,” Pakati said.
According to a statement by Ngwenya the recent rains had done little to alleviate the dire water situation in the region.
“The recent rain only moistened the surface according to our engineers. We need good floods, not devastating floods.”
Level 1 water restrictions were introduced to the city as per a council resolution passed on June 28 and further restrictions will follow should rains not come. Level one restrictions include that:
lPrivate gardens and lawns; commercial nurseries, market gardens and turf-growing businesses may only be watered between 7am and 10am. At all times gardens and lawns may only be watered without causing pooling or runoff.
lExisting pools must not be either emptied or refilled without written exemption and any pool not previously filled must not be filled without written exemption. Previously filled pools may be topped up using a hand-held hose.
lWater storage tanks, dams, and lakes must not be filled or topped up other than with non-potable water.
lVehicles if not washed at a commercial car wash should be washed on a lawn or other porous surface and then may only be washed, not more than once per week, by using: (i) a bucket or watering can; (ii) a high-pressure low-volume cleaner; or (iii) a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle.
lWindows and buildings can be washed at any time but only with a bucket and mop, squeegee or brush or with a high-pressure low-volume cleaner. Otherwise, water must not be used unless necessary as a result of accident, fire, health hazard or other emergency.
Should water restrictions not be complied with punitive tariffs can be charged.
“Punitive tariffs are linked to the volumes which would be what people pay currently for water as well as the additions on how much water they use extra, which would be charged,” said Ngwenya.
The dam levels last week stood at 43 for Bridle Drift Dam, 62.6 for Nahoon Dam and 68.4 at Wriggleswade Dam.
While the percentages may seem high it is virtually impossible to extract usable water in the bottom part of any dam so when they hit below a particular percentage it would mean BCM will face a definite drought.
lReport water leaks to BCM call centre: 086-111-3017
— oriellya@tisoblackstar.co.za
lSee page 4 for picture
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