Update

KNYSNA NEWS - The water crisis in Knysna has been resolved following a three-month repair and maintenance programme that began at the end of March 2024. Remarkably, this extensive work was completed without any interruption to the water supply.

Starting in early April, the Knysna Local Municipality (KLM), led by Rhoydon Parry, who has over 20 years of experience in Knysna's water infrastructure, re-evaluated and assessed critical aspects of the water system.

The main water line to the Akkerkloof Dam was found to be damaged by an informal structure built over it, with a peg forced through the pipe, preventing its use.

Following heavy rains in early April, the Knysna Infrastructure Group, functioning as the Greater Knysna Business Chamber (GKBC) Infrastructure Committee, was called upon to assist.

A diver was needed to clear grids around the two pumps at the Charlesford Pump Station. During this dive, it was discovered that Pump No 1 had a bad vibration and required preventative maintenance. The pumps were temporarily removed to prevent further damage.

It is important to note that according to the manufacturer, there are only three such pumps in Africa, all located at KLM. Replacements must be imported from Europe, and only one workshop in South Africa, based in Kimberley, can repair these specific pumps.

During this period, KLM and the Infrastructure Committee continued repairing the main lines feeding the water treatment plant and the Akkerkloof Dam, which serves as a reservoir for excess water.

The informal structure was removed, and the Akkerkloof line was repaired. Both old and new main lines to the balancing dam and Eastford Pump Station were also repaired. The flow from Charlesford was reduced to protect the infrastructure from further pipe bursts.

With only one pump running at Charlesford, the Eastford Pump Station was set to manual operation with two pumps running.

By June 20, the GKBC reported that repair work on the pump stations was progressing well. KLM had purchased locally available new pumps, and Grundfoss performed the engineering work to adapt these.

The second pump was installed, and the telemetry in the pump station was reconfigured on July 3, enabling both Charlesford and Eastford pump stations to return to automatic operation. Eastford Pump Station's pumps were restarted, allowing all four pumps to run.

The KLM Technical team deserves commendation for their dedication and commitment. The Infrastructure Committee played a crucial role in facilitating collaboration between KLM, SNR, Integ Technologies, Spectrum, and Grundfoss in commissioning the pump stations.

Special thanks go to Phillip from Grundfoss Port Elizabeth, who urgently travelled to Knysna to commission both the Charlesford and Eastford pump stations.

Additionally, the pump station at the Glebe Dam has been recommissioned with the installation of a brand-new generator. The feed to the Akkerkloof Dam from the Glebe Dam has been operational since 3 July.

It is remarkable that Knysna's water infrastructure was fully repaired and recommissioned within three months, operational as of 3 July.

Pumping to the Akkerkloof Dam is fully operational from both Charlesford and Glebe, though the dam level is still low and will take time to recover.

Unlike Gauteng and Cape Town, Knysna's infrastructure maintenance programme ensured that there was no water interruption, not even for one day.

The next phase for the involved teams is establishing redundancy equipment, expected to be completed within the next two months. 

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