As the last of the visitors depart from seaside towns such as Knysna and surrounds, the residents that remain are starting 2026 with stricter water restrictions.
The Knysna municipality has issued a notice warning residents of excessive water usage and to comply with the newly implemented restrictions.
The supply has reached a critical stage, with the Akkerkloof Dam sitting at just 20%, which equates to about 13 days of water remaining in the system at current consumption levels.
The municipality said should consumption not decrease significantly and immediately, extraordinary measures, including the possible introduction of Level 5 restrictions and rationing, might become unavoidable.
The national department of water and sanitation, Western Cape department of local government, Knysna municipality, Breede–Olifants Catchment Management Agency (BOCMA) and the Garden Route District Municipality convened their weekly Joint Operations Committee (JOC) meeting on Tuesday.
The JOC is a standing intergovernment structure, co-chaired by the Western Cape department of local government and Knysna municipality, to co-ordinate short-, medium- and long-term interventions to stabilise water supply, strengthen system resilience and ensure adequate contingency measures.
Western Cape local government MEC Anton Bredell said water security across the Greater Knysna area was under severe and increasing strain.
“While the balancing dam is currently at approximately 90%, this does not compensate for the rapid depletion of the Akkerkloof Dam, which remains the primary source of water for the system.”
Bredell said the ongoing zero rainfall, extremely low river flows and sustained high consumption levels meant the present situation was unsustainable without immediate demand reduction.
The JOC agreed that alternative water sources had to be urgently pursued and that consumers were strongly encouraged to make use of alternative supplies, where feasible, to reduce pressure on surface water sources.
Knysna mayor Thando Matika said: “With no meaningful rainfall in sight and only about 13 days of water remaining in the system from the Akkerkloof Dam, this is no longer a warning, it is a crisis.
“Community co-operation is no longer optional, it is absolutely critical.”
Consequently, the following steps have been taken:
- Letters have been issued to the top 100 water users, calling for urgent consumption reduction
- Strengthened water conservation and demand management initiatives
- Regulation of car wash businesses, while remaining mindful of livelihoods
- Mobilisation of trained local community plumbers to identify and repair leaks
- Strict and intensified enforcement of Level 4 water restrictions
- Enhanced compliance monitoring, with a specific focus on high-volume and noncompliant users
Meanwhile, further up the N2, the George municipality also issued a notice, warning the public of the water levels in the area.
The municipality implemented Level 3 emergency water tariffs following public participation, with the Garden Route Dam declining from 45.68% last week to 44.5% this week. \
“With only 17mm of rainfall recorded over the past week, this continued decline has necessitated the escalation of water demand management measures from Level 2C to Level 2D, together with the implementation of Level 3 emergency water tariffs with immediate effect,” municipal manager Godfrey Louw said.
The Level 3 emergency water tariffs implemented will be reflected in the January 2026 municipal billing cycle.
The Herald
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