Let’s welcome Spring by saving water

As part of a bid for water rationing the Newcastle Municipality urges the Community to use water sparingly on this day as we are all welcoming Spring.

The Community usually enjoy this day by cooling off the heat through water games that sees buckets full water flying in evey street and every school, today we plead with the Community to work with us and help us save Newcastle from experiencing the drought that is threatning our town and conserve water.

The severity of the drought facing the province is very serious and needs to be treated as such. In a previous statement issued by the Municipality Honourable Mayor Cllr Afzul Rehman encouraged every citizen of Newcastle to remember that water is a precious resource and therefore should be used with care.

He mentioned that while the Municipality is not currently under immediate threat, the low rainfalls across the province also put Newcastle in danger of water shortages within the next few months. “Our wish to Newcastle water customers is that they will use water sparingly, make sure leaks are reported and fixed by the Municipality and consciously save water,” said the Mayor.

Mayor Rehman urged Newcastle residents to make water conservation part of their everyday lives and follow water saving tips provided by the Municipality.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and shave.
• Make sure that the tap is closed after you have finished using it.
• Take a shower instead of a bathtub.
• When taking a bathtub do not fill up the water to the top of the tub.
• When cooking do not fill up the pot with water.
• Ensure that toilet and pipe leaks anywhere in the house are fixed
• only flush the toilet when it is necessary.
• When washing your motor vehicle, use a bucket instead of a hose pipe

Effects of prevailing drought conditions in the region

water-shortage-kzn-dams-006

INTRODUCTION
Following a statement released by the MEC for Dept. of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Honourable Nomusa Dube-Ncube concerning the latest drought situation in the province, the Newcastle Municipality – aspires to update and notify the public concerning the current raw water resource situation within our district.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this press release is to ensure that the public is fully aware of the extent and gravity of the current prevailing drought conditions, and the possible ramifications for the region as a whole, should these drought conditions persist indefinitely and beyond the next ensuing rainy season. All sectors of the community should start conserving this scarce resource now, rather than later, and by doing so ensure that we are not as badly affected as other areas of the province, where severe austerity measures have already been implemented.

ESTABLISHED RAW WATER RESOURCES AND SUPPLIES
Under normal circumstances, the Water Service Areas are supplied with purified bulk water from the following water plants and raw water resources:
The Newcastle municipal areas, including Madadeni, Osizweni, Kilbarchan and the Eskom village, are supplied with purified bulk water via the Ngagane Water Purification Plant, which obtains its raw water extraction mainly from the Ntshingwayo Dam (70 mega-litres per day); its tributary the Ngagane River (30 Mega-litres per day); and the Buffalo River (28 Mega-litres per day).

The Amajuba District municipal areas of Dannhauser and Durnacol are supplied with raw water from the Ntshingwayo Dam; and the rural areas of Steildrift, Waterval, and Alcockspruit are supplied with purified water from the Ngagane Water Purification Plant, sourced from the Ntshingwayo Dam. The Emadlangeni (Utrecht) area is supplied with purified water locally obtained from the perennial Dorpspruit River and its storage dam. The capability exists that this supply can be augmented via the Emadlangeni bulk water supply line that feeds off the Ngagane Water Purification Plant via the Ntshingwayo Dam. The Hattingspruit community area is supplied with bulk purified water from the Biggarsberg Water Purification Plant.

HOW THE CURRENT DROUGHT HAS AFFECTED THE RAW WATER RESOURCES
Firstly, the Buffalo and Ngagane Rivers are historically very dependent on good and sustained rainfalls in the summer months to maintain good flows and to fill the main dam supplies higher up in the catchment areas. The smaller subsidiary dams likewise depend on good rainfalls in their catchment areas to reach good and sufficient water levels. As a direct consequence of poor rainfalls during the past rainy season, the water levels in the Buffalo and Ngagane Rivers has, since early December 2014, dropped considerably, and these Rivers are currently being supplied and maintained by an additional extra-ordinary water release from both of the Ntshingwayo and Zaaihoek Dams.

Without this additional water supply, there would be zero flow in these rivers – without these vital river resources, the Newcastle area would suffer a 44% reduction in raw water supply – 24% from the Buffalo River and 20% from the Ngagane River – and the effect on the Umzinyathi area would be devastating, reducing their raw water supply by about 95%.

POSSIBILITY Of WATER TRANSFERS
The level of the Ntshingwayo Dam currently stands at 73%, and the Zaaihoek dam at 82%. It should be noted that the Zaaihoek dam is not a licensed raw water supply extraction point, and that the emergency water supply currently being released from this dam to assist with the drought situation, is at the discretion of the Department of Water Affairs, who has other contractual obligations concerning this water resource.

The area of Hattingspruit is consequently now being almost exclusively supplied from the Buffalo River, via the releases of additional water flows from the Ntshingwayo Dam. The Emadlangeni (Utrecht) local town perennial Dorpspruit River and dam level is currently perilously low at 24%, and this town could soon be fully dependant on a supply from the Ngagane Water Purification Plant via the Ntshingwayo Dam.
It is also significant to note that the Buffalo and Ngagane raw water resources are also shared by other vital economic sectors of the region i.e., agriculture, mining, and industry; and that these sectors have already been adversely affected by the low river levels in terms of production output.

APPEAL
It is therefore a humbly appeal and a warning to the consumers that if the situation persist as per prediction, water cut backs will be unavoidable in both Newcastle West and East. Water restrictions and other measures shall be implemented in line with the council by laws. Excessive use of water and irresponsible car washing business is condemned in strongest possible terms and discouraged.

RECOMMENDED WATER SAVING MEASURES
1. All sectors should reduce water consumptions in a controlled and responsible manner, limiting use to the absolutely essential in order to reduce excessive and unnecessary demands on a diminishing and scarce resource.
2. Water losses should be reduced by fixing leaking taps and pipes, or reporting them to 0860 144 144.
3. The implementation of controlled water conservation and demand management measures by the authorities (already in place).
4. Regional water planning and monitoring of drought conditions, and the planning of possible austerity measures to properly manage the situation (already in place).

Newcastle Saving Water for The Benefit of KZN

Newcastle Municipality saving water for the benefit of KZN
The worst drought since 1991 has tightened its grip on the province as households and businesses across various municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal will implement new water restrictions, warned MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

MEC Dube-Ncube said two months is how long some residents in our province have before their taps run dry. “We need to start preparing ourselves for the worst, it’s time for everyone to acknowledge that there isn’t an endless water supply,” said the MEC.

The Cogta Department also revealed that the amount of water available has now dropped below 30 % and warned that the numbers could fall lower. Dam water levels started to decline in October 2013 when the province received minimal rainfall for two seasons. Although Newcastle Municipality is not yet directly affected by the drought like the rest of the province, as the community of Newcastle we must not turn our backs on our neighbours, we must fully participate in conserving water for the benefit of all who reside in KZN.

Honourable Mayor Cllr Afzul Rehman is encouraging every citizen of Newcastle to remember that water is a precious source and therefore should be used with care. Mayor Rehman mentioned that while the Municipality is not currently under immediate threat, the low rainfalls across the province also put Newcastle in danger of water shortages within the next few months. “Our wish to Newcastle water customers is that they will use water sparingly, make sure leaks are reported and fixed by the Municipality and consciously save water,” said the Mayor.

Mayor Rehman has urged Newcastle residents to make water conservation part of their everyday lives and follow water saving tips provided by the Municipality.

• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and shave.
• Make sure that the tap is closed after you have finished using it.
• Take a shower instead of a bathtub.
• When taking a bathtub do not fill up the water to the top of the tub.
• When cooking do not fill up the pot with water.
• Ensure that toilet and pipe leaks anywhere in the house are fixed
• Only flush the toilet when it is necessary.
• When washing your motor vehicle, use a bucket instead of a hose pipe.

Save Water Tips

“Saving water is not an event, but a lifestyle”

• Close the tap when shaving or brushing your teeth.
• Make sure that the tap is closed after you have finished using it.
• Do not feel up the bathtub to the top when taking a bath.
• When you use a bathtub for bathing, it takes from 80 to 180 litres of water to fill. Use a shower so that water will not be wasted.
• When cooking do not fill the pot with water as this wastes water.
• Ensure that leaking toilet cisterns and pipes anywhere in the house are fixed, this can curb the loss of 100 000 litres of water.
• Only flush the toilet when it is necessary.
• When washing your motor vehicle, use a bucket instead of a hose pipe.

The community is encouraged to report water and sanitation related queries/problems, by call our 24 hour call centre – on 0860 144 144, in order to get help.

Water Pipe Maintenance

Maintenance was done on the steel pumping main to Hilldrop reservoirs on the 10th of June 2015. The reservoir levels were expected to drop during the 8 hour outage period and low pressure was expected in areas feeding from this reservoir but no water outages were expected. The Hilldrop rising main popped again where they worked last night hence we have water supply interruptions today. At least we may expect another 4 to 8 hours before they pump again. The affected areas are Arbor Park; Riverside; Industrial Lennoxton; Paradise and Central Town. Sunny ridge Amajuba and Ncandu Park have also been affected. Eleven trucks have been deployed to deliver water to the above mentioned areas as well as the hospitals; police station and prison.