Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Residents of the Northern Cape’s Hantam Municipality may soon have no water, after the municipal dam ran dry nearly a month ago, an official said on Thursday.
“We are hoping for the best. But I don’t think our water supplies will keep up,” municipal water and sanitation head Koos Nell said.
The towns of Calvinia, Nieuwoudtville, and Loeriesfontein fall within the municipal area.
The last water in the municipal dam was used on December 10.
“The dam is completely empty. We are using boreholes since the 10th of December, when we used the last bit of water out of desperation,” Nell said.
“We are really in need. We are using seven boreholes to supply water for three towns.”
He estimated that the borehole water would last about three months, with current consumption. However, with schools opening again next week, water use would increase. The boreholes might run dry within a month.
Restrictions
He did not think the borehole water would last until the start of the rainy season at the end of May.
The town has had level 3 water restrictions since May 2016.
“In the beginning, people really didn’t apply the restrictions, but now people work together. Water may only be used for household needs,” Nell said.
Loeriesfontein had been without water for several years and water was being transported from Nieuwoudtville.
According to Nell, the provincial government would drill additional boreholes in Loeriesfontein on February 6.
