Low dam levels force Magalies Water to implement demand management

Magalies Water has announced the implementation of water demand management measures in response to below-average rainfall and worsening water quality in parts of its operational area, including North West.

According to the bulk water provider, the measures come amid growing challenges caused by climate change and pollution, which are straining the utility’s ability to deliver potable water to its bulk customers.

Magalies Water spokesperson David Magae said persisting climatic conditions had worsened the deterioration of raw water quality in the supply scheme, with incidents of pollution compounding the issue and affecting the bulk water provider’s ability to produce requisite water volumes for potable use.

Magae said the SA Weather Service had predicted that temperatures would mostly be above normal across the country due to the El Nino effect. For Magalies Water, this could translate into higher than normal consumption patterns, resulting in increased demand and lower supply capacity. 

“The flow into water treatment plants has been reduced to cater for the treatability index and plant performance matrix as guided by SANS 241:2015. This has adversely compromised the efficacy of the systems with reference to the design specifications and their capabilities,” he said.

Magae said the systems were strained and struggling to cope with the contaminants entering the systems due to upstream catchment activities (pollution) and climatic factors. 

He said this had resulted in water treatment plants producing reduced quantities of drinking water due to the reduction in abstracted volumes. 

“This is done, by and large, to ensure the integrity of Magalies Water, with respect to the provisions of SANS 241:2015 specifications, is not compromised and is consistently compliant.”

“As a countermeasure, scientists and process engineers are working towards optimisation of the systems and developing the most pragmatic approaches to circumvent the incoming loads of pollution while producing bulk water supply quotas that conform to the design capacities,” Magae said.

Magalies Water has urged its customers to use water sparingly during and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the development.

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