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A water drive has been launched to aid the drought-stricken communities of Hankey and Patensie.
Kouga Mayor Horatio Hendricks said messages of support have been streaming in since it was announced last week that water rationing was to be implemented in the two towns.
Both Hankey and Patensie depend on the Kouga Dam for water, the level of which dropped to below 7% last week.
“The rain over the weekend did not have an impact. Good rains fell in our coastal areas but there was very little rain over the dam and catchment area.
“The dam level actually decreased from 6,84% on Friday to 6,77% on Monday.”
He said many people were eager to donate bottled water for the towns.
“The municipality has, therefore, established a drop-off point for bottled water at its main office building in Jeffreys Bay.
“We would like to thank everyone who has already promised donations and would like to encourage others to do the same.
“Even just a single bottle of water will help the communities of Hankey and Patensie delay Day Zero.”
Water rationing has been in effect in the towns since the beginning of the week.
“The aim is to make the supply last for as long as is possible,” the Mayor said.
He said the municipality would also be embarking on a door-to-door campaign to share water-saving tips with residents and to identify leaks for repair.
“Internal leaks contribute to water losses and not everyone can afford the necessary repairs.”
A school programme will further be rolled out to help ensure that even the youngest residents play their part to keep the taps from running dry permanently.
Watershedding schedule
Water to the towns is turned on for only a few hours each morning and late afternoon.
In the mornings it is turned on from 04:30 to 08:00, with the exception of the two “washing days”, Wednesdays and Saturdays, when it is kept on for longer till 11am. The water is then turned off and back on again from 16:00 to 20:00 each evening.
