PE faces water shortage
2006-04-13 09:47
Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth is facing an acute water shortage, with dams in the city's catchment area only 36% full and residents facing further water restrictions.
According to the SABC, 60% of the city's water was for domestic use and despite current restrictions, 230 megalitres of water was consumed every day, prompting the metro to increase the amount of water it sourced from the Orange River scheme.
The scheme was implemented during a crippling drought in the early 1980s.
The state broadcaster said the only drawback was the metro's capacity to treat this water.
It was estimated that it would cost the metro R20m to finance a long-term upgrade.
- SAPA