NMB
The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, is expected in Nelson Mandela Bay this week to discuss his Department’s possible intervention in the Metro’s water crisis.
As Day Zero looms, the Metro confirmed that the Executive Mayor, Eugene Johnson, had received correspondence from the Minister in this regard.
Her spokesperson, Tango Lamani, said discussions “between the Minister and the Executive Mayor are continuing,” adding that the Minister will visit the Metro on Friday “wherein he will address all issues relating to the intervention by the National Government.
Meanwhile, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Joint Operating Committee for Drought Mitigation met on Tuesday to deliberate on mitigating measures as supply dam levels teeter at 12.4% of combined capacity.
The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) is one of the entities that are part of the committee.
MBDA spokesperson Luvuyo Bangazi said if the metro was to avoid Day Zero, residents would need to consume no more than 50 litres of water per person, per day.
"It is the only measure that is going to push back Day Zero in the short-term," said Bangazi.
Nelson Mandela Bay was slated to run out of water by June should there be no significant rainfall in the catchment areas by then.
"The city is onboard with all the other water augmentation schemes, such as boreholes that are currently on stream, and obviously plans to do desalination [of sea water at Schoenmakerskop], the work that's happening at the Nooitgedacht connecting scheme... all that work is happening but that work is, by its nature, long term. Long term meaning it is not being able to avert water running out - which is in a matter of day," warned Bangazi.
Other issues under the spotlight at the meeting included the reported “significant progress” being made in detecting and attending to water leaks.
According to a statement the Director of Water & Sanitation, Joseph Tsatsire, told the meeting that the City’s Drought Mitigation Action Plan was prepared in conjunction with the National Department of Water and Sanitation.
The mitigation plan includes, among others, the implementation of a drought campaign, water restrictions for the reduction of water consumption, and maximisation of the water supply from the Gariep Dam via Nooitgedagt-Coega low-level scheme.
DA councillor, Dries van der Westhuizen, said he had written to the Minister asking that a senior official or expert be seconded to actually lead the sub-directorate for Water and Sanitation until this crisis has been mitigated.
