Water Crisis Deepens in Newcastle: Heatwave and Water Shortages ...

As the relentless heatwave continues to grip large parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Newcastle residents find themselves struggling as water supply interruptions affect large areas of the community. While issues began midway through the past week, the situation escalated dramatically over the weekend, leaving vast sections of Newcastle either without water entirely or experiencing extremely low water pressure.

Reflecting on the ongoing water crisis, Newcastle Municipality’s Councillor Bebsie Cronje pointed out that the time has come for residents to recognise the absence of rainfall in the area. This, she explained, prompted officials to hold a prayer for rain.

“Never before have I heard of prayers for rainfall in Newcastle during December before, not since I moved to Newcastle in 1970. We usually hold prayers for rain in early September and October, but never this time of the year. But we are experiencing major water-related problems, not only in Newcastle, but across South Africa,” said Cllr Cronje. She also highlighted the dire situation in Dannhauser, where the region’s communities have seen their reservoir deplete to such an extent that they have now gone without water for three days.

Given the lack of rainfall, Cllr Cronje noted that Newcastle’s reservoirs are not filling adequately to meet the local demand. “I have requested that the Newcastle Municipality determine whether water restrictions will be enforced, but I have not received any response yet,” she added.

While several suburbs are dealing with intermittent water interruptions, Cllr Cronje specifically pointed to the extreme situation in Signal Hill, where residents endured six days without water. This was due to faults at the Signal Hill Reservoir, which were eventually addressed on the evening of Monday, 9 December 2024.

Looking at the crisis unfolding, on Thursday, 5 December 2024, the Newcastle Municipality issued a statement explaining that water levels at both Northdown and Signal Hill Reservoirs had been critically low since Wednesday, 4 December 2024.

The statement attributed this shortage to several factors, including burst pipes, though no further specifics were provided on the other said factors. As a result, both reservoirs were shut down to allow water levels to stabilise, affecting areas such as Aviary Hill, Schuinshoogte, Upper Hutten Heights, Sunnyridge, Signal Hill, Ncandu, Amajuba Park, and Pioneer Park.

Additionally, regions including Mndozo, Dicks, Manzana, and surrounding areas experienced both low and no water supply due to a faulty Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV), which the technical team subsequently repaired. The statement also noted that high water demand, exacerbated by the heatwave, led to further supply issues in parts of Osizweni, with some areas facing complete water outages and others experiencing low pressure.

A follow-up statement issued on Friday, 6 December 2024, explained that the Municipality was grappling with water supply challenges due to low water levels at the Buffalo River, which feeds the Ingagane Water Treatment Plant. “The low water level is mainly caused by the current heatwave and high-water demand,” the statement read.

To address the crisis, the Municipality requested that the Department of Water and Sanitation release water from the Groenvlei Dam into the Buffalo River. This was done in an effort to help stabilise the town’s reservoirs, which were at such low levels that they were unable to meet the water demand.

By Sunday, 8 December 2024, residents took to social media to express their frustration about the ongoing water shortages. As they demanded answers from the Municipality, the government’s Communications Unit issued yet another statement, acknowledging the ongoing challenges at the Northdown, Signal Hill, and Hilldrop Reservoirs. The reservoirs had been shut down the previous evening in the hopes of increasing water levels.

Despite efforts to resolve the issue, Newcastillians were still experiencing water shortages by Tuesday, 10 December 2024. The situation has become more tense, with residents growing increasingly upset as the prolonged water crisis, combined with the unrelenting heatwave, show no signs of abating.

The matter has reached a level that on Tuesday afternoon, Cllr Bertie Meiring issued a statement, where he explained the valves to the reservoirs were to be closed on Tuesday afternoon and would only be reopened on Wednesday morning, 11 December 2024, at 3 am. The reasoning behind this, Cllr Meiring explained in his statement, was that residents were using more water than could be pumped into the reservoirs.

On this, Newcastillian News has submitted questions to both the Newcastle Municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation to establish what steps are being taken to address the growing crisis and what contingency plans were in place for emergency situations where the water crisis could potentially worsen.

While the two government departments are expected to respond this week, Cllr Bebsie Cronje has urged residents to use their water sparingly, while the issue is addressed and while the province waits for the heatwave to break, with rainfall expected to assist in alleviating the problem.

The burning question, however, remains: when will the heatwave end? According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS) relief from the heatwave is expected to come on Wednesday, 11 December 2024. The weather service issued a statement explaining that isolated to scatted showers and thunderstorms are expected over parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

Furthermore, SAWS pointed out that some of these thunderstorms may become severe and could potentially be accompanied by damaging winds, excessive lightning, hail and heavy downpours which may lead to localised impacts over parts of the Midlands, as well as the western and northern interior of KZN.

As Newcastillians anxiously watch the skies, hoping for much-needed rainfall to ease the ongoing water crisis, it’s important to note that this is a developing story. Newcastillian News will continue to update its readers as the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Newcastle Municipality respond to the ongoing issues and elaborate on what Newcastle can expect in terms of its water supply.

What are your thoughts on the current water crisis in Newcastle? Share your views in the comment section below.

At Newcastillian News, we value the voice of our community and encourage open dialogue. However, it is crucial to maintain a respectful and constructive environment. We remind everyone that using fake or anonymous identities does not shield you from being identified and held accountable for your comments.

To foster a positive community atmosphere, we strictly prohibit any form of racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other discriminatory remarks. Similarly, malicious personal attacks and the use of offensive language are not tolerated and will be promptly removed.

It is also important to note that remarks targeting individuals or companies must be factual and free from unfounded accusations. Comments that involve defamation, false information, or reveal confidential details can lead to legal consequences for the commenter. We reserve the right to remove such comments without prior notice to ensure our community standards are upheld.

Please note that while we encourage diverse opinions and lively debates, Newcastillian News does not intervene in comment disputes. Moderating such interactions is unfeasible and often leads to further complications.

It’s important to remember that the commenter could face legal consequences if a comment infringes on someone else’s rights. Let’s all strive to contribute positively and remember that in this small community, respect and decency are paramount.

Read our TERMS, CONDITIONS AND USER RULES for further information.