The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) will have to pull up its socks to avert yet another looming water crisis.
In the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year alone, 19,27 million kilolitres of non-revenue water were lost – equivalent to 58% of the Metro’s total water supply.
This is the result of ongoing infrastructure decay combined with a lack of planning and maintenance. These factors are exacerbating the Metro’s critical state.
Operational failures – including burst pipes, faulty pump stations, power outages and delayed upgrades to water treatment plants – are also making matters worse.
The situation demonstrates that the Metro is following a reactive approach of crisis management while failing to address the actual causes of water losses.
Consequently, reservoirs in large parts of the NMBM are not filling up as they should, leaving residents, businesses and the local economy in a vulnerable position.
High water consumption is adding to the pressure. Daily demand has recently risen to 400 million litres, while the system was originally designed for supplying only 280 million litres per day. With the summer season and an influx of visitors at hand, the network will come under even greater strain.
Meanwhile, the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works is operating at reduced capacity due to upgrades, dropping supply to between 160 and 180 million litres per day.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) insists that the Metro urgently implement a sustainable and structured water-conservation programme based on thorough planning, regular maintenance and sensible capital investment.
Without a long-term strategy, the NMBM will remain trapped in an endless cycle of water crises.
Die party doen ook ’n beroep op inwoners om water spaarsamig te gebruik en lekkasies of probleme onmiddellik aan te meld om verdere verliese te beperk.
