Neighbours splashing out? Call the cops!

As drought bites hard in KwaZulu-Natal, fines are being levied on those caught wasting water

NEXT time you whip out the hose pipe to water the garden, make sure your neighbour is not watching.

As the water crisis grows in KwaZulu-Natal, residents in Durban’s northern suburbs have roped in “water police” to issue spot fines against water wasters.

In areas such as the growing tourist hot spot of Ballito, water restrictions have been in place since late last year.

The water policing initiative is a public-private venture that also involves the Ilembe district municipality.

Sembcorp Siza Water, which supplies water to the Dolphin Coast region — Ballito and nearby areas — said it had received 60 complaints of people wasting water since October.

Not even the Ballito-based KwaDukuza dire and emergency service could escape; it was fined R3 000 after employees were spotted washing a fire truck. Fines are also handed out to residents who have failed to reduce their water use by 30%.

Sembcorp Siza spokeswoman Khosi Mathenjwa said pictures and videos sent to the water company — on top of the daily inspections and water use monitoring the company was doing — were being used to levy the fines.

Residents are not allowed to build new swimming pools, and water features have to be disconnected from the water sup- ply. Existing pools may be topped up with recycled water only. Hose pipes have been banned, golf courses are not allowed to use potable water for irrigation and residents may wash their cars using only a bucket of water.

Louis Luyt jnr, chairman of the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers’ Association, said feedback from residents was encouraging.

“There have been conscientious efforts by people to support [water-saving measures] and if they found others not complying, they would report them.

“Everyone has realised the repercussions,” he said.

Various municipalities in the province — including Gingindlovu, Eshowe, Nkandla, Mthonjaneni and Mbonambi — have been affected by the drought and have taken drastic measures.

KwaZulu-Natal was given official drought status late last year. Lower-than-expected summer rainfall has left dams dangerously low, with the newlyconstructed Spring Grove Dam the only dam in the province that has more water than it did a year ago. Water was being pumped into many dams to pre- vent them going dry.

Hazelmere Dam, which supplies the Ballito area and parts of northern Durban, is just 46% full — last year, it was 97% full. Goedertrouw Dam is just under 47% full, compared with 89.5% last year.

The Department of Water Affairs’ KwaZulu-Natal director, Ashley Starkey, said R354-million had been set aside for drought relief in the province.

Of this, R123-million would be spent on 96 tankers to get water to desperate communities, and R93.6-million would be used to drill, test and equip boreholes and install standpipes in rural villages. About R11-million would go towards ensuring that existing springs are maintained and do not run dry.

Starkey said half the country could follow the “KZN route” and apply to be given official drought status.

“The Western Cape, Free State, Northern Cape and Limpopo are considering ... drought declaration.”

Mhlathuze Water CEO Sibusiso Makhanya said this week that the uThungulu district municipality — which covers Richards Bay, Empangeni and Eshowe — was considering charging more in winter, when the supply of water was lower, than in summer.

At Eshowe, water supply is restricted from 8am to 4pm and again from 8pm to 4am. The taps still run, but the water pressure is drastically reduced.

Half the country could apply to be declared drought areas