CRAMOND - While KwaZulu-Natal communities battle water shortages, residents along Albert Falls Dam face a crisis of their own.
Years of sewage and other contaminants flowing into the dam’s catchment area have triggered algal blooms, a clear sign of declining water quality.
The municipality admits the problem but says it isn’t solely to blame.
It also warns that lasting solutions will require time and money.
The continued pollution flowing into the dam is taking a toll on the province's tourism sector.
The Bass Classic fishing tournament, a popular sporting event scheduled for later in August, has now been cancelled.
Community leaders say for years, they have been calling on the municipality to fix ageing infrastructure and hold polluters accountable.
A recent Umgeni-uThukela Water report identifies failing wastewater infrastructure as a key cause of declining water quality, but the municipality insists the responsibility is shared.
In a response to eNCA, the municipality said that while pollution is affecting the dam, no single source is to blame.
Maintenance is ongoing, infrastructure upgrades are planned, but most long-term solutions need funding.
As a result, residents remain without a clear timeline for when the sewage pollution problem will be brought under control.
Umgeni-uThukela Water says Albert Falls Dam is deteriorating, but with coordinated action to curb pollution at its source, the dam can recover.
To residents, the issue appears to have become a blame game, with responsibility shifting between different authorities while the pollution problem persists.
- eNCA's Nokwazi Qumbisa filed this report.