SABRINA DEAN – The national Department of Water Affairs has confirmed that water restrictions will be implemented across the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality from Tuesday 1 July until further notice.
Acting Director General Trevor Balzer says the restrictions were first announced via a notice published in the Government Gazette in March this year. He says the department conducted systems and hydrological analyses earlier this year which showed that restrictions would be necessary by July if sufficient rainfall did not take place.
He says restrictions will apply to the Caledon and Modder River subsystems. Restrictions will impact industrial and domestic water use across the Metro, as well as water used for irrigation purposes and could be in place until the first good rainfall in October or November.
Balzer sasy the department has been looking into emergency measures such as supplementing the Caledon system with water from the Lesotho highlands Project:
Farmers irrigating from the Modder River will only be permitted to draw water on certain days. Residents in town, as well as Botshabelo and Thaba ‘Nchu will have to sacrifice things like washing cars, watering lawns and gardens and filling swimming pools. Anyone with a borehole is required to inform the municipality of its existence and those intending sinking new boreholes can only do so with municipal permission.
Persons contravening the water restrictions could be fined up to R20 000 or imprisoned for up to four months.
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