WHEN residents of Garden Route resort town Knysna open their taps in two weeks’ time, nothing may come out as its water reserves have reached a critical low.Mayor Georlene Wolmarans said reserves were down to 23 days at the current consumption rate, and called on residents to cut consumption and manage water use.Cape Town, almost 500km from Knysna, has warned residents to expect higher water bills if they have not reduced consumption."Unless all residents start working together, we run the risk that our taps will run dry within the next couple of months. We have reached the point where we need to implement desperate measures to avert disaster," she said.The Akkerkloof Dam, Knysna’s main reserve facility, is at 34% of its capacity, while the water level at the Glebe Dam is less than 5%, meaning that it is no longer a source of supply.The Western Cape has not been declared a drought disaster area, but parts of it are facing water shortages and this will likely lead to a 10% drop in ag...
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