GRDM supports Knysna in water crisis

16 May 2025 | SANews

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Disaster Management team has been actively assisting Knysna Municipality (KM) following a formal request for help with water deliveries to Rheenendal communities.

This comes after a major breakdown of KM’s main domestic water pump, prompting the activation of a Joint Operations Centre (JOC) to coordinate emergency efforts. The JOC, led by KM, includes key role players such as the Western Cape Government, GRDM Disaster Management, SAPS, Knysna Infrastructure Group, the Greater Knysna Business Chamber, Law Enforcement, Traffic, and Fire & Rescue Services.

Initially, GRDM deployed a single 6,000-litre water tanker, but due to growing demand, support was quickly scaled up with an additional 10,000-litre tanker. According to Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel, GRDM began assisting over the weekend and remains on the ground to support Knysna and its surrounding areas.

“We remain committed to helping local municipalities within our available resources. In the past, we’ve stepped in to support Kannaland and Oudtshoorn during similar infrastructure issues,” Stroebel said.

GRDM’s Head of Disaster Management, Gerhard Otto, explained that Knysna’s Technical Services is overseeing the water deliveries. While the initial focus was Rheenendal, the worsening situation has led to water being trucked to other areas such as Dam-se-Bos and Nekkies.