KNYSNA NEWS - Residents of the greater Knysna are beginning to see the benefits of Knysna Municipality's water security interventions, with the Akkerkloof Dam now holding 54.7% of its storage capacity.

The municipality says the milestone marks continued progress in strengthening water security while advancing several infrastructure and service delivery projects across the municipal area. The municipality attributed the dam's recovery to the successful operation of the Charlesford Pumping Scheme, which is supplying water to both the Akkerkloof Dam and the Knysna Water Treatment Works.

Healthy yields from the Knysna River abstraction point and no major mechanical failures over the past month have also contributed to the breakthrough. Knysna Mayor Thando Matika welcomed the progress. "The steady recovery of the Akkerkloof Dam is encouraging and reflects the positive impact of the interventions implemented over the past several months," he said.

However, the situation is not out of the woods yet. Once the 60% milestone is achieved, current water restrictions will be reviewed. Until then, residents, businesses and visitors are urged to continue using water responsibly.

The municipality has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Vodacom to develop a digital platform known as the Water Tower. The system will give residents real-time information on household and municipal water consumption to help monitor usage and promote conservation.

The platform is currently being piloted in the City of Tshwane, with a roll-out date for Greater Knysna to be announced later. Efforts to address sewage spills are also continuing. The Department of Local Government has appointed a professional service provider through the Strengthened Section 154 Intervention to provide technical support to improve wastewater infrastructure and service delivery.

Work is also progressing on the municipality's borehole exploration programme, with engineering under way to connect newly developed boreholes to the municipal water network. To improve service delivery, the municipality has appointed additional casual workers to assist the Roads and Stormwater Department with pothole repairs, stormwater clearing and streetlight restoration.

The municipality also raised concern over increasing vandalism of municipal infrastructure. Matika urged residents to report incidents, saying vandalism diverts resources from essential services. "Our focus remains on delivering reliable services, strengthening our infrastructure and building a municipality that is resilient, sustainable and responsive to the needs of its people," he said.

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