The water situation in the Knysna area remains a serious concern.

The Knysna Municipality says they are not faced with a crisis yet however, if water usage is not reduced Knysna could face a serious problem which could be catastrophic.

Chairperson of the Planning, Infrastructure and Development Committee, Councillor Louisa Hart said “the current average demand for Knysna is 12.5 megalitres (Ml) daily.

“We are only able to pump from the Knysna River 9.5 Ml per day leaving us with a shortfall of 3 Ml,”

Hart says when load shedding occurs the situation deteriorates even further as the power outages affect the raw water pump stations and the municipality can lose up to 5.5 Ml during stage two load shedding.

She adds that the Akkerkloof dam is dropping at an alarming rate of almost 2.5% per week.

Further influences that affect pumping and the capacity of the dam are mechanical breakdowns, bulk raw water breaks and evaporation.

The erratic rainfall over the last 12 months is also a major risk in water security.

Residents may experience water interruptions due to load shedding as some water pumping system have no standby generators. The municipality says stricter water restrictions will apply.

“Law Enforcement Officers will be conducting spot checks and individuals found watering outside water restriction times can face fines of up to R1000 per incident.

“We also request community members to be our eyes on the ground, please report individuals in your area that you witness watering outside the parameters and notify the municipality of any leaking pipes. I also plead with everyone to continuously conserve water” Hart added.

Water restrictions are as follows: Even street numbers can water gardens or wash cars between 18:00 and 19:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Odd street numbers can water gardens or wash cars between 18:00 and 19:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. No watering is permitted on a Sundays.