‘We are thankful for the rain and pray for more,’ says DA Cllr,Phillip Minnaar
The town had been experiencing water rationing and the Lomati Dam that supplies water to Umjindi stood at 14 per cent.
The outer edge of Cyclone Eloise brought heavy downpours to many parts of the Lowveld over the weekend. Dramatic photos of uprooted trees, high water levels at low-level bridges and flooded homes went viral on social media on Sunday.
For most of the weekend, Barberton skies remained overcast and locals braced themselves for the much-needed rain. The town had been experiencing water rationing and the Lomati Dam that supplies water to Umjindi stood at 14 per cent.
When the rain arrived, it was a far cry from the deluge everyone had expected. It rained intermittently, with heavy downpours that lasted about an hour before clearing up for two or more hours.
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DA councillor, Philip Minnaar, who recently penned an open letter to Mbombela mayor, Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi, regarding the town’s water woes, expressed his appreciation for the weekend’s rainfall.
“We are extremely grateful for the rain all over and especially in Umjindi. It appears that the average rainfall around the town was about 130 millimetres.
“The good news is that the rainfall in the Lomati Dam catchment area is now at 248 millimetres,” said Minnaar.
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He said the dam level had risen from 14 per cent to 29,4 per cent by Tuesday.
“This will help us tremendously, but is still not enough and we will still have to manage our water usage carefully,” Minnaar cautioned.
He added that usually the water treatment plant purified and treated seven megalitres per day.
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“With only the natural down flow of rain water from the mountains, they managed to increase the purification to the maximum of 15 megalitres per day.
“This will assist tremendously to lift the reservoir levels and ensure a more constant water supply.”
Minnaar added that once the flow from the mountain stops, the quantity will be reverted to seven megalitres per day.
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He urged that residents continue using water sparingly as the recent rains were not a solution to the town’s water issues.
“They still have to close areas in order to fill up these reservoirs. The situation will therefore not change overnight. Continue using water sparingly, the normal restrictions are still in place.
“We are thankful for the rain and pray for more,” said Minnaar.
He thanked Umjindi residents for their patience and willingness to work together to conserve water.
