The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) took note of the low winter rainfall that resulted in low flows in the Caledon, Vals, Renoster and Vaal Rivers. Municipalities rely on water available in river systems in order to purify and provide potable water to communities. With the low rainfall, flows in the rivers are low and municipalities struggle to withdraw sufficient water to supply to communities.
Due to the low flows in the Caledon, Vals, Renoster and Vaal Rivers, the municipalities are forced to put water restrictions in place, in order to ensure that water is available for a longer period. Low levels also means that the water that is abstracted has very high turbidity and a muddy appearance and it is more difficult for the municipality to clean the water, often leading to discoloured water coming from taps.
The municipalities affected are Dihlabeng, Setsoto, Mantsopa, Mohokare, Mafube and Nketoane Local Municipalities. Municipalities are currently in the process of bolstering their water supply through short, medium and long term plans utilising funding from DWS as well as the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).
The low flows in the Caledon will be further affected by the closure of the Lesotho Highland Tunnel on 1 October 2024 for much needed refurbishment. The tunnel will be closed for 6 months from this date till March 2025. The tunnel which feeds water from Lesotho to South Africa will be dewatered from the 1st of October and a process of removing the corrosion protection paint through sandblasting will commence thereafter. The whole tunnel which spans about 20 000 square feet will be resealed with corrosion protective paint.
During this process silt that have deposited in the Muela Dam will also be removed. The project will be undertaken by both the Lesotho Highland Development Authority (LHDA) and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA).
The Department of Water and Sanitation has been assisting affected municipalities over a period of time to prepare for the closure. Amongst the plans that are currently being executed is the drilling of boreholes in an effort to augment existing water supply.
Communities are encouraged to adhere to the water restrictions in their various areas and pay attention to communication issued by their municipality. Using water sparingly should be prioritised by all during dry or wet seasons.
