With temperatures soaring this week and water restrictions being tightened‚ it is easy to see why Durban residents would be tempted to stockpile water.
And these fears of running out are being heightened by planned maintenance on one of the region’s biggest water plants‚ scheduled for Thursday.
But the eThekwini municipality has a message for anyone tempted to store water: Don’t do it!
In a notice on the council’s official Facebook page‚ the drought-hit metro said: “When the planned maintenance begins at Midmar Dam on Thursday‚ 26 January‚ water will be available in the reservoirs. If we all use water sparingly we will not be affected as water will only run out if used excessively. Do not store water. Please do not panic.”
The Midmar Treatment Works will be shut from 8am to midnight on Thursday‚ affecting supply to the Outer West and Inner West suburbs and some areas in the south.
However‚ water authority Umgeni Water said it would ensure that reservoirs were filled enough to supply the affected areas during the 16-hour shutdown.
Municipal spokesman Tozi Mthethwa said: “In a drought situation you have to use water sparingly to make to make sure that everyone gets‚ whether it is business or residential. What we don’t want is people collecting water because that will collapse the system.”
The municipality has had restrictions in place for more than a year. After a hiatus from restrictions over the festive season to cater for holidaymakers‚ the council reinstated 15% restrictions a week ago‚ and warned that this could increase to 20% if water is not used sparingly.
– TMG Digital/The Times
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