Do you expect us to trust you?

Oh no! Here we go again, another ‘head shaking headline’ … “Water restrictions tighten as Hazelmere level drops” (Courier June 5, 2015).

1. The Facts. According to the Umgeni Water dam and rainfall data:

– The Mooi / Umgeni catchment storage capacity is 946 million cubic metres. (This catchment area serves about 6.5 million people, give or take one million). As at June 3 the dams in this catchment were at 81% of capacity.

– Hazelmere which serves the Dolphin Coast with a population of about 500 000 people only has a capacity of 17.9 million m³. As at June 3, Hazelmere was at 34% of capacity.

– On the basis of providing water for the Dolphin Coast at similar levels to Durban we should have at least 72 million m³ storage capacity, instead we have less than 18 m³ .

– Given that Hazelmere’s current level is dropping 3% every two weeks, anyone can easily calculate that by September our ‘taps will run dry’.

– No coherent plan seems to be in place.

2. Trust. One Umgeni spokesman “is confident it will rain in September”. Another thinks the pipeline is working.

Sembcorp Siza Water’s response is “pay more, use less and use recycled water for your pool”.

Thanks guys, given your ‘professional’ planning and track records, do you really expect us to trust you? Don’t blame the drought, Durban has the same drought but plenty of water. Then as far as recycled water goes, can you really be trusted to provide 100% pure water 100% of the time from re-cycling waste that is full of toxins, hormones and heavy metals? The proof of the pudding this time will be in the drinking. Sadly advertising, protests and assurances from your senior management don’t add up to much.

Yes, of course we need recycling, new dams, desalination plants, new reservoirs, the rehabilitation of rivers and conservation of wetlands, but how are we going to get them if we cannot even build a simple pipeline?

Take a tip, get of your ‘high horses’, tell us the truth and start planning house and business deliveries of fresh clean water now. Give us clear plans for the future and treat us honestly and we might understand, but wishful thinking is not helping.

So humble yourselves, plan for the worst and pray for the best as only God can help us now.

MALCOLM KENSETT

Ballito