KNYSNA - The Department of Water and Sanitation has blamed the Knysna water crisis on a lack of maintenance.
The department said the Knysna Municipality has neglected maintenance for many years. This as residents are hoping for urgent intervention or significant rainfall as Day Zero looms.
The Akkerkloof Dam is sitting at around 15 percent capacity.
“The Knysna Municipality has neglected maintenance for many years… It does not have enough capacity to pump water… We agreed with them on key issues in the short term,” the department said.
READ | Disaster declaration sought as Knysna's water crisis deepens
Speaking to eNCA last week, Knysna Mayor Thando Matika said the high seasonal demand and panic storing aren't helping.
Matika added: "We need to inform our residents and we need to be honest with them in terms of our storage and water capacity but we're trying by all means to make sure we do not reach that stage," he said.