The Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality (DBNLM) will remain a drought disaster area.
The municipal infrastructure service standing committee informed the DBNLM council that water remains a scarce resource and water restrictions will remain in place.
The committee wrote to council that water carting will take place in all towns the DBNLM serves, in the case of water interruptions.
In the report, the committee asked that residents be informed to adhere to the municipality’s urgent request to use water sparingly.
The DBNLM is designated as a water service authority and provider. The municipality is responsible for the supply of portable water to all its towns.
The committee’s report states that all towns in the jurisdiction of DBNLM are reliant on ground water, including Graaff-Reinet, Willowmore, Aberdeen, Jansenville, Klipplaat, Rietbron, Nieu-Bethesda and Steytlerville.
Since 2020, the DBNLM has abstracted water from the Nqweba Dam, when the level of the dam was at 19%.
Supply from the Nqweba Dam was discontinued from April 2021, when the level of the dam reached 8,4% and the town is solely reliant on borehole water supply.
The municipal infrastructure service standing committee informed council that the dam level had been decreasing continuously.
No decision on the committee’s presentation was made by council.
It was only taken note of.