Knysna Mayor, Eleanor Bouw-Spies, said that while moderate water restrictions were in place, residents and visitors would not find themselves without water.
She said applauded residents of Knysna for being water-wise, saying the town had not escaped the protracted drought.
“As a result, water storage has improved marginally and the greater Knysna is not facing an imminent Day Zero. Visitors to the area need not fear that they will not have adequate water,” Bouw-Spies said.
She said however that Knysna Municipality had embarked on short-term measures to increase water extraction, harvesting ground, and rainwater while effecting repairs to desalination plants and introducing a leak reduction programme.
“There is no doubt that we must continue to be water-wise, given that average rainfall in Greater Knysna has dropped dramatically, from a historical average of 70mm per month to an average of 15mm in the past year,” the mayor said.
Mayor Bouw-Spies said Knysna also had to develop a plan for water resilience in the long term.
Municipal Manager, Kam Chetty, said much of their short-term initiatives were beginning to yield positive results, albeit marginal at this stage.
“At this stage, we have sufficient water to support the tourism sector and domestic consumption, and we need to manage this valuable resource wisely and aggressively,” he said
“At the same time, it is critical that Knysna adapts as quickly as possible to ensure water resilience going forward. Adapting rapidly to climate change will strengthen our tourism position and become our major differentiator, leaving our area attractive to visitors who are essential to our economy,” said Chetty.
(Image:Supplied)
