DRIED UP: Roan Botha walks in an empty dam on the family’s farm in the Aliwal North area. Picture: MARK ANDREWS
AUTHORITIES in the drought hit Chris Hani district municipality have introduced restrictions on water usage in Queenstown.
The municipality has also shut down one of the town’s main dams after it was discovered water levels had dropped below 30%.
This is the second Eastern Cape district to implement water cuts, following OR Tambo.
Chris Hani municipal spokeswoman Thobeka Mqamelo confirmed that a decision had been taken last Thursday to impose restrictions and water cuts in urban residential areas of Queenstown and its Mlungisi and Ezibeleni townships.
This comes after water levels dropped at Bonkolo Dam.
“We have closed down Bonkolo Dam because water levels have dropped to around 27.5% as of December 18,” Mqamelo said yesterday.
The restrictions, which came into effect on Monday, will prohibit watering of gardens with hoses or a sprinkler system, and filling up of swimming pools.
The district municipality was also engaging with carwashes regarding restrictions.
The restrictions would apply until further notice.
Fines would be issued to transgressors, but the amount could not be established at the time of writing yesterday.
Queenstown’s central business district, industrial zones, hospitals and schools are exempted from water cuts.
Mqamelo said the town and townships were now receiving water from Down Dam in Whittlesea, more than 30km away.
Queenstown Civic and Ratepayers’ Association chairman Tokkie Daysel said the restrictions had been implemented late and accused municipal bosses of failing to communicate the decision properly.
The South African National Civic Organisation regional secretary in the district, Mbuyiselo Ntsabo, said they were unhappy authorities had not consulted all stakeholders.
Queenstown businessman Edric Russel said he was concerned that authorities had not spotted the drop in the Bonkolo Dam level earlier.
“They should be reading the level of the dam regularly,” he said.
Russel was also not convinced there was a shortage of water in Queenstown, saying the problem was that dams were not properly managed.
Queenstown commercial farmer Peter Prinsloo said farmers were spending thousands installing solar pumps to revive old boreholes.
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