The water crisis at Kroonstad has become significantly worse.

The level of the Bloemhoek Dam that supplies water for the town is at 0%.

According to spokesperson of the Moqhaka Municipality, Khojane Madiba, the town is dependent on water remaining in various dams situated in the Vals River, comprising Groblers, Barend Wessels and Strydom Dams, respectively.

Madiba says should it not rain, the remaining water at the various dams will only last for approximately 20 days, where after surface water abstraction for purification will not be possible.

“If the rain doesn’t fall in a few days from now, the water that we have will not last for the next three weeks. Please do not water your gardens. We also plead with residents not to wash their cars using a hosepipe and not to do any micro irrigation. Use water as sparingly as possible. We have a bad situation.  We have been calling the people and should there be people who are not following the water restrictions, they will be fined.”

The municipality says further developments in the water situation will be communicated to the community in due course.

“It is, however, the plea from the Moqhaka Municipality that all consumers, being businesses or households, use water extremely sparingly in order to extend the current available water resources as far as possible. We can’t afford to waste a drop of water. The situation is really bad and the misuse of water will not assist the municipality at all.”

REFILWE GAESWE