Contrary to local rumours, the pump station at Tayside, from where water for Endumeni is extracted from the Buffalo River, is ‘going at full tilt’.

uThukela Water in Newcastle said the level of the river had picked up significantly over the past week following good rainfall.

“The submersible pump is running well. We have just spent R1,5-million on upgrading both pumps at Tayside. We have also applied for funding from the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation (previously known as DWAF) for funding for a third pump to ensure that should one pump go down we have two on stand-by,” a spokesman said.

He added that water has to be allowed to flow over the Tayside weir as Nquthu, downstream, also draws water from the Buffalo River as do the adjacent farmers.

The Buffalo is currently Endumeni’s only source of water as the dams in the area are still too low to extract water from and contamination from debris is high.   Asked about the building of dams in the area, to be fed by the Buffalo, he said that this was not the competency of uThukela Water but Water Affairs.