Knysna declares local disaster as water crisis escalates

The Knysna Municipal Council has officially resolved to declare the Garden Route town a local disaster area as the region faces an intensifying water shortage. The decision follows urgent warnings from officials that the area is only days away from taps running dry.

CRITICAL DAM LEVELS
The crisis is driven by rapidly declining storage levels at the Akkerkloof Dam, Knysna’s primary water facility. The dam is currently at just 15% capacity, a level that raises serious concerns regarding the immediate sustainability of the local water supply.

EMERGENCY INTERVENTIONS
The formal disaster declaration is expected to provide the municipality with the necessary legal framework to:

Unlock emergency funding and interventions.

Fast-track response measures and infrastructure repairs.

Implement significantly stricter water restrictions.

Accelerate the procurement of alternative water sources.

LEADERSHIP RESPONSE
Knysna Mayor Thando Matika described the situation as critical, noting that the municipality is monitoring dam levels on a daily basis while coordinating with provincial authorities for emergency support.

"Following today's council meeting, we can confirm that council indeed has declared that we are facing a disaster and no longer a crisis," said Mayor Matika. "The next step will be for the district municipality to also confirm or declare a disaster; that will be tabled to the provincial cabinet to also confirm and declare if we are facing a disaster."