BELOW average rainfall in the past 15 months has resulted in a situation where water levels have fallen sharply, causing water shortages to occur in some areas.
Operational meteorologists in South Africa have predicted that the trend of low rainfall experienced thus far is likely to continue until January 2015, through the spring and early summer months, when the highest rainfall usually occurs in KwaZulu-Natal.
This will have the effect of inadequate raw water being available for Umgeni Water to treat and supply to its customers.
The effects of drought are already being felt in the middle South Coast region, also known as the Umzinto System, where the levels of the three dams there, EJ Smith, Nungwane and Umzinto, have fallen drastically and are fast depleting.
The level of the EJ Smith Dam is currently at 11 percent, Nungwane Dam is at 32 percent and Umzinto Dam is at 29 percent. By all accounts this is a crisis situation as there is insufficient water available to meet the demand.
Umgeni Water and Ugu are working closely in creating awareness among consumers, in the imposition of water conservation measures and in the development of contingency measures to deal with the deteriorating situation.
Apart from the Umzinto System, two other systems in the supply area of Umgeni Water are already in a state of stress. They are the Ixopo System and the North Coast System (Hazelmere and Imvutshane River).
There are no immediate concerns about water shortages during the current year in the Mgeni System, which supplies the eThekwini region, uMgungundlovu and northern Ugu district and Pietermaritzburg. But this depends on the rainfall levels received during the coming months. If the rainfall levels are still low this could become an issue in mid 2015.
