Matika says R20 million national funding and borehole revival will avert water crisis as supply sits at 19 days.
Knysna Mayor Thando Matika has reassured residents that the municipality will not reach Day Zero.
The mayor made the commitment on Wednesday in a video shared by the municipality amid concerns over the town’s water security.
Day Zero not coming any time soon, says Knysna mayor
“Currently, we’re not going to any Day Zero, any time soon,” Matika stated.
His assurance comes as the national government has committed R20 million in emergency funding and the municipality works to revive seven non-operational boreholes drilled in 2009.
The situation remains precarious as the municipality relies on its storage dam while the Charlesford River, a primary water source, has run dry for the past two to three weeks.
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However, he emphasised that multiple water sources and interventions will prevent the town from running out of water entirely.
19 days of water supply
The municipality’s latest water supply update from 26 January 2026 shows abstraction of 14 800 kilolitres on that date, up from 13 651 kilolitres the previous day.
The Akkerkloof Dam stands at 22.3% capacity while the Balancing Dam is at 41%.
“Currently, we can see that the Akkerkloof is on 22%, which is around 19 days of water,” Matika said.
No rainfall was recorded, and ongoing consumption meter faults are hampering accurate monitoring.
The municipality has called for strict, responsible water use by all residents, businesses, and visitors.
“As a water-saving measure, showers and external taps at ablution facilities and in public spaces remain closed. Residents are urged to ensure that all taps are closed during water interruptions to prevent water losses once supply is restored,” it reiterated.
National government intervention key to averting Day Zero
National government officials visited Knysna two weeks ago and met with the municipality’s technical team to finalise support details, a crucial step in the mayor’s plan to prevent Day Zero.
“They have confirmed that R20 million will be made available, and they will be bringing implementing agents to come and assist in terms of Knysna and issues for adding water boreholes,” Matika explained.
ALSO READ: R20m promised to relieve water crisis in Knysna
The funding and technical support will focus on reviving seven boreholes drilled in 2009 during a previous water crisis that have been non-operational ever since.
“Some of them have been vandalised, some of them have been blocked,” he said.
The municipality is now working to revive these boreholes by installing new pumps and pipes to restore their operation.
According to Matika, the town is receiving water from seven operational boreholes at PG Bison, which pump directly to the water treatment facility.
He added that two streams, the Goukamma and Bongani, are contributing to the water supply, along with the Knysna and Keurbooms dams. These multiple sources form the basis of Matika’s confidence that Day Zero can be avoided.
Matika emphasised that the Akkerkloof is not the main dam but rather a storage facility.
“We are not currently using the storage dam (Akkerkloof). We are pumping [water] to the storage dam. Currently, we are using water from the Charlesford River,” he said.
He added that the municipality has had to use the storage dam only because the river dried up in recent weeks.
Desalination plants remain out of service
The municipality’s desalination plants, commissioned in 2009 during the previous water crisis, have also been non-operational for years.
According to the mayor, the Sedgefield plant has been decommissioned and is beyond repair, requiring a complete restart, while the Knysna plant has been placed in preservation mode pending retrofits.
“We have also brought back the company that was the one that commissioned the desalination plant to give us a detailed report,” Matika said, outlining plans to determine what is needed to fix the facilities and how long repairs will take.
The minister of water and sanitation visited the area and discussed the desalination plants as a potential solution. However, reviving them would require significant investment beyond the R20 million already committed.
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Infrastructure collapse and ageing systems
The water crisis is compounded by widespread infrastructure failure throughout the municipality.
Ageing asbestos pipes break and block daily, creating significant water losses and panic among residents who experience sudden supply interruptions for repairs.
“If you go around the town every day, this pipe bursts, this pipe bursts, and it creates a lot of water losses because the moment a pipe bursts, which means that area will not have water at that time because we have to fix the pipe and close the water off,” Matika explained.
He acknowledged that the municipality’s infrastructure has not been upgraded in years, with many areas still using asbestos pipes despite their age and deteriorating condition.
Beyond water supply, the municipality faces additional challenges with sewerage, waste management and broken pump stations.
The mayor said Knysna’s unique topography requires more than 49 pump stations to manage sewerage flow across its hills, far more than comparable-sized towns.
“There has been some negligence in terms of fixing some of the pump stations,” Matika acknowledged. He noted that consequence management is being implemented.
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