THE annual dry period at Hankey and Patensie has been scheduled for June 16 to July 1 this year.
The dry period takes place every year when the Gamtoos Irrigation Board performs maintenance on the canal system which supplies water from the Kouga Dam to these towns.
Kouga Infrastructure and Engineering Portfolio Councillor Freddy Campher said strict water restrictions were already in place for both Hankey and Patensie due to the prolonged drought.
“The level of the Kouga Dam stood at an alarming 9,24% this week. We would like to call on residents and businesses to curb their water usage even further during the dry period.”
He said the water supply to Hankey was usually augmented with water from the Klein River but that the river level was currently too low because of the drought. “This means there will be times when there will be no water in the taps for domestic use. We will, however, be trucking in water to assist households, as we have done in previous years.”
He said the Irrigation Board’s balancing dam would be used to provide water for Patensie, but that water tankers would also be at the ready for those times that the dam might have to be closed as part of the maintenance programme.
