Water on the way from PG Bison boreholes to Knysna Water Treatment Plant

The first contingent of water extracted from the PG Bison boreholes was en route to the Knysna Water Treatment Plant on Thursday.

This follows the successful conclusion of a contract between Knysna Municipality and PG Bison.

“A huge thank you to Gift of the Givers, who have played a pivotal role by providing suitably large tanker trucks to transport the water. This collaboration is a powerful example of what can be achieved when organisations work together for the greater good,” Knysna Municipality said.

Motorists were urged to proceed with caution in the area, as water extraction was taking place adjacent to the N2 near the Karatara turn-off.

“While this is an encouraging step forward, we are not yet out of the woods. Day Zero remains a real possibility. Every drop counts, and we urge all residents to continue using water wisely and responsibly.”

Gift of the Givers said their teams delivered five 35 000 litre water tankers in Knysna. 

“The tankers will transport water from PG Bison boreholes to the balancing dam, supporting the municipality in maintaining water supply and service delivery.”

The organisation also delivered water to the SAPS K9 Unit in Knysna. 

Premier Alan Winde on Thursday said following a provincial Cabinet meeting this week, they have officially requested disaster declarations from the national government to intensify efforts to manage the wildfires ravaging parts of the province, as well as water security challenges affecting several municipalities. 

“This will allow us to strengthen governance and sustain a coordinated response,” Winde said.

“While this process is underway, firefighters continue to put their safety on the line in battling the flames, while we assist affected municipalities to better manage water.”

“Thank you to all those who have been working tirelessly on these disasters. We will also discuss a disaster declaration on crime with the COGTA and Police Ministers in the coming days.”

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina conducted a two-day working visit to Knysna where she held a series of engagements with municipality leadership and stakeholders to assess the extent of the water challenges and agree on urgent measures to address the crisis.

The Akkerkloof Dam, which is the municipality’s primary storage facility, was approximately 16% full, translating to an estimated 13 days of usable water at present consumption levels, Majodina said.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is availing an emergency relief allocation of R20 million from reprioritised water services infrastructure grants to Knysna Municipality, together with the provision of technical capacity, aimed at developing groundwater resources to alleviate the current strain placed on available surface water resources.

Cape Times