The Department of Water and Sanitation reports that water levels in the Eastern Cape continue to decline week-on-week.
The levels provincially are down from 55% last week to 54.6% this week.
The Algoa Water Supply System with dams supplying Nelson Mandela Metro and Sarah Baartman District is sitting at a low 19.6% of average combined capacity, compared to 44.3% this time last year.
The Department says other Water Supply Systems in the province are also below average with the Amathole scheme at 44.3% and the Klipplaat Water Supply System at 44.5%.
Meanwhile, the Nelson Mandela Bay Interim Mayor Thsonono Buyeye led a municipal delegation on a site inspection to the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment works in Addo on Wednesday.
The DA alleged this week that millions of litres of water were being lost at the Water Treatment works due to the Municipality’s failure to maintain the system.
Mayor Buyeye says however that the last phase of the multi-million rand upgrade was progressing at a satisfactory rate.
He argued that the delays in the upgrade had nothing to do with the Mandela Metro as it was a National Department of Water and Sanitation funded project.
The Sarah Baartman District Municipality, which covers seven local municipalities, is still battling with the persistent drought and water shortage across the district. The current weather forecasts show that the following three months will be particularly dry with minimal rainfall projected across the district.
The current dam levels in the district are:
