KwaZulu-Natal’s Umfolozi River has run dry, spelling tough times ahead for the province which has already been declared a disaster area due to the ongoing drought.

This is affecting the supply of water to the areas of Mtubatuba, St Lucia and Nkolokotho and residents in the Umkhanyakude district have been asked to use water sparingly.

According to Umkhanyakude District Municipality Mdudzi Dlamini, the district municipality has now taken the decision to implement a rationing programme to all the areas that are affected.

Levels at the Kwa Bobhoza reservoir are reportedly running on empty, ranging from 0% to 1.8%, and at Hluhluwe the dam level is extremely low at 22%. Water levels at Hluhluwe have dropped 90 m³ as a result of the ongoing drought.

Water levels in the Jozini dam are also very low and the municipality had contracted water tankers to fetch water from eMpangeni dams to supply local communities.

The municipality has also commissioned four boreholes at the Umfolozi River which can yield at least 1.8 Ml a day. Dlamini said that although this wasn’t nearly enough, all measures were being taken to increase the supply.