Water Crisis Deepens in Newcastle: Heatwave and Water Shortages Demand Urgent Action

Water Crisis Deepens in Newcastle: Heatwave and Water Shortages Demand Urgent Action

As the relentless heatwave continues to grip large parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Newcastle residents find themselves struggling as water supply interruptions affect large areas of the community. While issues began midway through the past week, the situation escalated dramatically over the weekend, leaving vast sections of Newcastle either without water entirely or experiencing extremely low water pressure.

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Reflecting on the ongoing water crisis, Newcastle Municipality’s Councillor Bebsie Cronje pointed out that the time has come for residents to recognise the absence of rainfall in the area. This, she explained, prompted officials to hold a prayer for rain.

“Never before have I heard of prayers for rainfall in Newcastle during December before, not since I moved to Newcastle in 1970. We usually hold prayers for rain in early September and October, but never this time of the year. But we are experiencing major water-related problems, not only in Newcastle, but across South Africa,” said Cllr Cronje. She also highlighted the dire situation in Dannhauser, where the region’s communities have seen their reservoir deplete to such an extent that they have now gone without water for three days.

Given the lack of rainfall, Cllr Cronje noted that Newcastle’s reservoirs are not filling adequately to meet the local demand. “I have requested that the Newcastle Municipality determine whether water restrictions will be enforced, but I have not received any response yet,” she added.

While several suburbs are dealing with intermittent water interruptions, Cllr Cronje specifically pointed to the extreme situation in Signal Hill, where residents endured six days without water. This was due to faults at the Signal Hill Reservoir, which were eventually addressed on the evening of Monday, 9 December 2024.

Looking at the crisis unfolding, on Thursday, 5 December 2024, the Newcastle Municipality issued a statement explaining that water levels at both Northdown and Signal Hill Reservoirs had been critically low since Wednesday, 4 December 2024.

The statement attributed this shortage to several factors, including burst pipes, though no further specifics were provided on the other said factors. As a result, both reservoirs were shut down to allow water levels to stabilise, affecting areas such as Aviary Hill, Schuinshoogte, Upper Hutten Heights, Sunnyridge, Signal Hill, Ncandu, Amajuba Park, and Pioneer Park.

Additionally, regions including Mndozo, Dicks, Manzana, and surrounding areas experienced both low and no water supply due to a faulty Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV), which the technical team subsequently repaired. The statement also noted that high water demand, exacerbated by the heatwave, led to further supply issues in parts of Osizweni, with some areas facing complete water outages and others experiencing low pressure.

A follow-up statement issued on Friday, 6 December 2024, explained that the Municipality was grappling with water supply challenges due to low water levels at the Buffalo River, which feeds the Ingagane Water Treatment Plant. “The low water level is mainly caused by the current heatwave and high-water demand,” the statement read.

To address the crisis, the Municipality requested that the Department of Water and Sanitation release water from the Groenvlei Dam into the Buffalo River. This was done in an effort to help stabilise the town’s reservoirs, which were at such low levels that they were unable to meet the water demand.

By Sunday, 8 December 2024, residents took to social media to express their frustration about the ongoing water shortages. As they demanded answers from the Municipality, the government’s Communications Unit issued yet another statement, acknowledging the ongoing challenges at the Northdown, Signal Hill, and Hilldrop Reservoirs. The reservoirs had been shut down the previous evening in the hopes of increasing water levels.

Despite efforts to resolve the issue, Newcastillians were still experiencing water shortages by Tuesday, 10 December 2024. The situation has become more tense, with residents growing increasingly upset as the prolonged water crisis, combined with the unrelenting heatwave, show no signs of abating.

The matter has reached a level that on Tuesday afternoon, Cllr Bertie Meiring issued a statement, where he explained the valves to the reservoirs were to be closed on Tuesday afternoon and would only be reopened on Wednesday morning, 11 December 2024, at 3 am. The reasoning behind this, Cllr Meiring explained in his statement, was that residents were using more water than could be pumped into the reservoirs.

On this, Newcastillian News has submitted questions to both the Newcastle Municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation to establish what steps are being taken to address the growing crisis and what contingency plans were in place for emergency situations where the water crisis could potentially worsen.

While the two government departments are expected to respond this week, Cllr Bebsie Cronje has urged residents to use their water sparingly, while the issue is addressed and while the province waits for the heatwave to break, with rainfall expected to assist in alleviating the problem.

The burning question, however, remains: when will the heatwave end? According to the South African Weather Service (SAWS) relief from the heatwave is expected to come on Wednesday, 11 December 2024. The weather service issued a statement explaining that isolated to scatted showers and thunderstorms are expected over parts of KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

Furthermore, SAWS pointed out that some of these thunderstorms may become severe and could potentially be accompanied by damaging winds, excessive lightning, hail and heavy downpours which may lead to localised impacts over parts of the Midlands, as well as the western and northern interior of KZN.

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As Newcastillians anxiously watch the skies, hoping for much-needed rainfall to ease the ongoing water crisis, it’s important to note that this is a developing story. Newcastillian News will continue to update its readers as the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Newcastle Municipality respond to the ongoing issues and elaborate on what Newcastle can expect in terms of its water supply.

What are your thoughts on the current water crisis in Newcastle? Share your views in the comment section below.

Comments 24

  1. Sam says:

    As someone living on signal hill this is inhumane , you dont get water trucks , everyday its another story , we are fed up with the excuses and lies

  2. Catharina Prins says:

    We were in Newcastle, Signal Hill visiting family and to have no water for 6 days was awful!
    A truck was suppose to deliver water but that only arrived once while we were there.
    Had to buy bottled water to flush toilet and to wash.
    It’s unhealthy and Un hygienic.

    Something drastic needs to be done.
    What about people who cannot afford to buy bottled water?

    • Jabu says:

      In Dannhauser we had this water problem for years.Even we have rain it’s the same. We are tired of this nonsense and silly excuses.The authorities must adress this.Other communities are without water for months.Its ridiculous.Bebsie Cronje our problems are deep than what you experience in Newcastle.

      • Sphola says:

        This is 100% rubbish why appoint incompetent people with no skills at all. Infrastructure needs to be monitored and upgraded all the time. That won’t happen because people are busy filling their pockets. This has never happened in Newcastle someone must account.

  3. Willie says:

    The municipality blame rainfall and high water demand but cannot fix leaks under the tar road in Drakensberg Avenue for more than 100 days now. It was reported and followed up several times with the water still seeping from under the tarmac. If leaks like this one and others are fixed properly and timeously it might help…every drop counts. They should also be responsible and pay their water bills for what it is woth

    • Pilaz says:

      I agree With Willie they talk all this crap of low reservoirs and not about the fresh water leaks in and around Pioneer Park which have been leaking for more than 3 month and mot been attended too

  4. Upset resident says:

    The Sunnyridge residents upper hill also dont get water . How can they close valves when not everybody got water. Since Sunday there’s no water. Call the municipality and they said “no Garnet avenue is upper hill and will take longer to get water” !!
    3 days already and no water trucks and no water. What are we supposed to do?
    We cant buy water to fill the toilets and clean and wash ourselves.
    Its ridiculous 😒.
    Stop with the excuses and get people who are qualified to handle the water jobs.

  5. Elizabeth says:

    This stupid municipality gives a shit about us on Signalhill! We go day’s without water and no water trucks either! I have a elderly mom to care for. Even WITHOUT water crisis we go without water for day’s due to fualty pumps, that the residents had to fix.

  6. John dow says:

    If a resudent drills a bore hole can they then supply water to the rest of the block. Municipality cannot supply so we need to look at other sources. We need to be self sufficient in Newcastle west an stop paying municipality bills. They hold the town hostage due to electricity an water. We dont need any other service cause they cannt provide. We will save on not paying rates or any other money. Lets see how there big shot animals like that

  7. Monty Steele says:

    Why is there no comment why the sluice gate at Chelmsford has never been repaired. Resulting in the dam not being able to be filled to it’s capacity proir to this situation.

  8. Philani Mtshali says:

    Enough is enough South Africa only understand one language,let’s take it to the street…

  9. Strini naidoo says:

    This is utter nonsense ethukela water is not paid , why let the residents only know in the evening that water will be closed no planning at all from the munic water department, bleedy fix the pipes and valves etc , stop having a jol with rate payers money for horse racing and soccer wish the newcastillan can get a figure on what was spent for these events well its only a wish

    • Freddie says:

      Wait till the water bill comes maybe our meters were running on air the time water was of, then it runs faster.

  10. Donald Trump says:

    This is a bunch of lies, the chemford dam is above 70% and we have had lower levels before without water shedding.i suspect this municipality owes a lot of money to utukela water and this is the result. We can survive without electricity but water is a basic human right. Something better be done soon before the community looses patients especially with water.

  11. Frederick Smith says:

    In the ’80’s we had water restrictions. The level of Chelmsford dam was down to something like 15%. BUT WE STILL HAD WATER, albeit , restricted. The difference is that those days, the infrastructure was maintained, and the necessary steps were taken timeously to ensure water for the town, and the people responsible, were COMPETENT, and knew what they were doing. This shortage has nothing to do with the drought, or the heat wave. It has to do with failing infrastructure caused through negligence, and through incompetent people who are supposed to “fix” it. Pipes have been bursting all over town for a long time now. Everyday there were numbers of “burst pipes”. And these things were happening throughout the winter as well.

  12. Chris says:

    I grew up in Newcastle and are 70 years old and never ever did we experience a mess like this. No matter what excuses are issued it all boils down to incompetence. Why is it that when the reservoirs run low and water gets cut off but returns it is so dirty that it can only be used for flushing toilets. Dirty water is the results off pipes that has been repaired. My question to the people in charge is why not tell us the truth and that is, the people in charge are not competent to sort out the crisis. Get people with knowledge and the problem will be resolved within days

  13. Anonymous Concerned Resident. says:

    It is mentioned that residents must use water sparingly, which I do agree with during a water shortage.

    But, what I don’t agree with is the 3 fingers pointing back to the municipality. What are they doing about the water being wasted with the large number of blocked drains all over Newcastle,.

  14. Gatvol community member says:

    Let’s all be realistic and realize that our so called Mayor isn’t worth his title, he doesn’t give a hoot over us, all he is concerned about his the wonderful sports facility that is being funded by our rate and tax money. He has done more harm than good to Newcastle, just look at the state of this town ( which once won an award for the cleanest town in South Africa, that is when we had a person who was proud to be a Mayor and leader of Newcastle). At the moment we have a sports director as a Mayor, just take note of the Facebook page, there is all about the sports recently held in Durban, all he wants to achieve in this town is be known as the man who created a sport facility, never mind the wonderful project he has launched to assist the foreign nationals register their ‘businesses of expired and fake products.

    He should rather focus on our water situation which isn’t a luxury, it’s our human right to have water, and if they investigate properly they will probably find a leak on the main line pipe that feeds water to Newcastle, maybe he enjoys going to sleep all sweaty after a long day in this heat, or did we fund his house with enough Jojo tanks to supply him with water.
    Come sports director Mayor get your act in gear or kindly step down and allow people who care about Newcastle to step in and run this town in a proper manner the way it should be run. Cause clearly you not doing a good job of it. Not proud of being a community member of the town.

  15. Angry and upset says:

    I feel like we are being given multiple excuses to placate us and manipulate us into understanding. First, a burst pipe, then a faulty valve, then low reservoir levels and now no rain? Isn’t that why we have dams? Why does the CBD have water then if it’s the lack of rain’s fault?
    Make it make sense. People need to be fired now. I’m not playing.

  16. Sandile says:

    And the thing of water tankers that owned by some of the municipality employees and friends is another problem in that area, Charmsford dam is not dry, actually it over 70% and yet they have guts to lie in our face and tell us about heatwave, I think there a lot that needs to be investigated in that municipality, there to much corruption going on there. Someone is benefiting from this, NIU must pay them a visit and check their tender system there something dodge going on there.

  17. Masinga says:

    This is ulter rubbish, there is no shortage of water in newcastle, our dam is far from 50% infact our chelmford is above 70% margin. I wonder what game I they playing. This is another sabotage to the paying community of Newcastle, especially to those who honestly paying their municipality services. In short Newcastle doesn’t have shortage of water.

  18. Lourens says:

    In the past we had heatwaves and drought, and never reservoirs were shutdown. Now it happens every day? Who else apart from the municipality is drawing water from the river? Where are the new mines popping up between the dam and town getting there water from? Hete is a bigger issue. Water doesn’t just dry up so suddenly. It worsened by the day. And if we really don’t know, then please explain to us what we missed, step by step and where the problems started

  19. Christopher says:

    Rumors are that newcastle municipality owe to much to tugela water so they have restricted water to newcastle….this sounds more realistic to why we have water problems, also there are to many leaks everywhere, good water just getting wasted due to lack of maintains and people that just don’t care..

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