The Knysna Municipality is on the brink of a catastrophic water shortage, with officials announcing that the town has an estimated 15 days of usable water remaining before hitting “Day Zero.”
The crisis has been precipitated by critically low levels at the Akkerkloof Dam, the municipality’s primary storage facility, which stood at 19.6% as of this morning. Johnny Douglas, Co-Chairperson of the Knysna Municipality Joint Operations Committee, confirmed the dire figures in a televised interview, stating the dam’s level translates to just over two weeks of water at current consumption rates.
Douglas explained that the Akkerkloof Dam is an off-channel facility, meaning it does not have a natural river feeding it. Water is pumped into it from the Knysna River. He noted that the municipality also draws from other sources, including another dam and a borehole in town, courtesy of the Muslim Judicial Council, which yielded 60,000 liters in a recent test.
When pressed on how the municipality reached this point, Douglas cited a combination of climate change, Knysna’s status as a water-scarce region dependent on short rivers, and historical failures in planning and infrastructure maintenance. He acknowledged that a dam project has been on the cards since 2002 but was never implemented, and that similar crisis conditions were experienced in 2010.
“Instability in council, be it now political or administrative, contributed to this aging infrastructure not being upgraded,” Douglas stated. He attributed part of the current administration’s challenge to a “stop-start approach” to project implementation by previous governments.
The interview turned contentious when the question of accountability was raised, specifically referencing a municipal budget of approximately R1.263 billion for the 2024/2025 financial year earmarked for infrastructure and service delivery. The interviewer questioned why the work was not done if funds were budgeted.
Douglas conceded that primary accountability rests with the local municipality, which serves as both the water service authority and provider. He announced that the current council and administration have resolved to focus on consequence management.
“We need to focus on consequence management… doing a full investigation… and disciplinary actions be taken against those [for] flouting the rules, not implementing council decisions, not utilizing the funding,” he said.
Outlining the immediate plan, Douglas said the municipality has appointed an additional five plumbing teams, bringing the total to twelve, to address major leaks and pipe breaks. For informal settlements, a partnership with the non-governmental organization Pacific Elani has been established to maintain taps and toilets, with the municipality providing materials.
Douglas confirmed that the municipality is working with an integrated team from provincial and national government, including the Department of Water and Sanitation, which is considering declaring a local disaster to unlock emergency funding. He emphasized that moving forward, a clear performance management system would be monitored by the municipal manager and council.
With the town’s water supply now measured in days, residents are being urged once again to drastically reduce consumption to avert a complete shutdown of the water system.