George braces for tougher water restrictions

Holidaymakers and George residents will have to work hand in hand this festive season to ensure their plans are not throttled by tighter water restrictions.

The George council, at a special meeting on Thursday, approved stricter water demand management measures, moving from level 2B to level 2C with immediate effect.

The meeting painted a bleak picture of the George water situation as declining dam levels and ongoing water outages continued to plague the area this week.

And with the summer season in full swing and thousands of visitors expected to descend in the coming weeks, the council also decided that should the dam levels drop below 45% it will move to level 3 restrictions.

The Garden Route Dam level is currently at 49% and steadily decreasing by up to 2% a week.

Adding to the situation is that the SA Weather Service predicts below-normal rainfall and above-average temperatures for the region this summer.

Civil engineering services political head Donovan Gultig said the decision on restrictions came after the continued decline of the Garden Route Dam.

“Despite ongoing appeals and awareness campaigns, water consumption remains high and noncompliance is increasing, while below-normal rainfall has placed the city’s water supply under significant pressure.”

Mayor Bronwen Johnson said the municipality could no longer rely on voluntary reductions.

“We are entering a critical period. The dam is dropping by up to 2% per week, and seasonal demand will push the system even harder.

“I urge every resident, business and visitor to use water sparingly,” Johnson said.

​Johnson said the drought management policy required the implementation of level 2C restrictions with household consumption limited to a maximum of 15kl/month.

​“Under the prevailing conditions, the Garden Route Dam will, in all likelihood, fall to 45% or below within the next two weeks.”

Under level 2C, all level 2B measures remain in force, with the following additional reductions and prohibitions:

• Emergency water tariffs remain in effect;
• Households are limited to 15kl per month;
• Businesses and entertainment facilities must reduce consumption by 25% (based on the past six-month average);
• Industries must reduce consumption by 15%;
• Flow-reducing devices may be installed for noncompliance (offenders are liable for the installation cost, except for indigent households);
• No hosing of structures, roofs or paved areas using municipal water;
• No hosepipe use by car wash businesses unless using non-potable or alternative water sources;
• Irrigation of sports fields with potable water is prohibited once the dam levels reach 25%;
• Public swimming pools may not be filled with potable water once the dam levels reach 25%; and
• Enhanced public awareness campaigns and intensified monitoring of high-use consumers. Additional maintenance teams are deployed to fast-track leak repairs.

In terms of Section 5 of the bylaw, residents may apply in writing for exemption from specific restrictions.

No potable water may be used for construction.

Contractors may apply to the civil engineering services directorate to collect treated effluent from the Gwaiing Wastewater Treatment Works.

A raw water supply point at the Wilderness Water Treatment Works (WTW) is planned, and the public will be notified once this has been implemented.

These restrictions currently apply to George only, and not to Uniondale or Haarlem.

Together with the level 2C water restrictions, emergency water tariffs will be implemented at level 2 as per the municipal 2025/2026 tariff list.

The public has been invited to submit comments or objections about the emergency water tariffs within 14 days of the publication of the notice on Friday.

The closing date for submissions is December 19.

Wilderness Residents and Ratepayers’ Association municipal liaison committee member Roy Marcus said they had been alarmed at the deteriorating condition of the water supply infrastructure.

He said the community’s primary concern revolved around the deteriorating infrastructure and, critically, the time it took to restore the supply following recent interruptions.

“​We believe that the municipality is not adequately prioritising the maintenance and urgent repair of infrastructure in this area.

“The water crisis and subsequent restrictions/outages have severely affected our community.

“For residents, the intermittent and sometimes complete lack of water supply disrupts basic daily activities and businesses.

“Wilderness is a major tourist attraction that brings considerable income to the George environment.

“Water interruptions severely impact guesthouses, hotels and restaurants, leading to cancellations and reputational damage.

“Reliable service delivery is paramount for the continued economic viability of the area,” Marcus said.

The Herald