Knysna residents face the stark reality of queuing for 25 litres of water per person per day as the municipality warns that day zero is approaching and water shut-offs are coming. The Garden Route town was recently declared a local disaster area under the Disaster Management Act after dam levels dropped to critical levels, with the Akkerkloof Dam now sitting at just 19.6% capacity as of Tuesday. While the dam is at a significantly low capacity, it is still an improvement from Monday’s 18% and last week’s 15%.
The municipality issued an urgent warning that pressure will be reduced across the water reticulation system, with taps potentially running dry for hours or even days. “Should day zero arrive, residents will have to queue for an allocated 25 litres per person per day, as per the national standard. That’s for drinking, washing and everything else,” the municipality said.
At the moment, level 4 water restrictions have been made mandatory across the greater Knysna municipal area, requiring every household to use no more than 50 litres per person per day. The municipality emphasised that this minimal allocation is crucial to saving the town’s water supply and potentially delaying or avoiding day zero altogether. It warned that “inspectors are active” and that users who do not abide by the restrictions would face severe consequences.
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“Excessive and illegal users will face punitive tariffs, will be disconnected and will have to collect water rations from specified points,” officials said. The latest consumption data from 20 January 2026, shows abstraction at 13 704 kilolitres with consumption at 10 006 kilolitres. This follows 12 373 kilolitres abstracted on 19 January with 9 200 kilolitres consumed.
At the time, no rainfall was recorded. River flows remain critically low.
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