While acknowledging the pain and hardship the rains has brought to some, the Mhlathuze Water, a company that cleans and supplies bulk water to various district municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, says the recent rains in the province have improved dam levels in the province.
Mhlathuze Water spokesperson, Siyabonga Maphumulo, the two dams they use to supply residents, namely the Goedetrow Dam and the Pongola Port Dam, are however not out of the woods yet.
“Goedetrow Dam has risen to 67.6 million cubic metres and last week it was 66.7 million cubic metres last year while at the same time it was 52.8 million cubic metres and the most famous Pongola Port Dam with Jozini Dam 51 million cubic metres last week it was 48.4 million cubic metres last year it was 43.9 million cubic meters,” he says.
Maphumulo is urging residents to continue using water sparingly.
“We are urging our people to work on water so that we can have it for a long time and those who can afford to pay their water bills must please do so that our municipalities can fix the infrastructure. But for those who don’t know, remember that water is a very important weapon as we face the COVID-19 epidemic, where we desperately need a drop and a drop that means nothing to each person,” Maphumulo concludes.
KwaZulu-Natal recovering from drought that some had described as having been the worst in 100 years.
Authorities have previously said the province would need weeks and weeks of sustained rainfall to refill its fast declining water reservoirs to return to water levels considered safe and sustainable.