South Africans and thirsty Nelson Mandela Bay residents, the numbers are in, and they paint a critical picture of Nelson Mandela Bay’s water supply. Whilst one significant dam level has increased, the biggest leak isn’t in the Western Region; it’s in our municipal infrastructure.
Here are the facts:
- 65% of Nelson Mandela Bay’s water comes from the Gariep Dam, which saw rising levels throughout 2025.
- Nelson Mandela Bay has a TOTAL reliance on external water sources (Free State and Sarah Baartman Districts).
- 35% of the municipalities water comes from dams to the west, four of which fall within the Sarah Baartman District.
- BUT… 60% of that water is lost BEFORE it reaches consumers taps due to municipal infrastructure failure.
What does that mean? The municipality is responsible for wasting 223 Million Liters per day (MLD).
That is equivalent to losing 90 OLYMPIC-SIZED SWIMMING POOLS DAILY.
We are importing water from across the country, only for more than half of it to disappear through broken pipes. We cannot afford this waste.
How We Fight Back:
We must turn this data into collective action. We can’t wait for the municipality to fix it; we have to develop our own pressure map.
- Join the Discussion: What is the water pressure like in your street? Have you reported a leak with zero feedback?
- Report the Leaks: Share your municipal reference number on the forum. We use this data to escalate entire neighborhoods, bypassing the call center queue.
Don’t just watch the 90 Olympic size pools drain daily. Take control.
Join the MyNMB Forum to express your feelings, share solutions and vent!
#NelsonMandelaBay #Gqeberha #NMBWaterCrisis #ServiceDelivery #CommunityAction #TheMyNMBWay
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Links:
First Published here: MyPR.co.za
Did You Know?
- Cradock was founded in 1813 on the banks of the Great Fish River to cater for the migratory farmers who settled in this ruggedly beautiful area with its excellent grazing, abundant water and healthy climate.
- Cradock was officially renamed Nxuba on 26 August 2022. This change was officially gazetted by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, and it was part of a broader effort to rename towns with colonial or apartheid legacies in the Eastern Cape.
- Home to an actual Harry Potter’s grave: A British soldier with the name Harry Potter, who died during the South African War (Anglo-Boer War), is buried in the Cradock cemetery. His grave was discovered in 2002, long before the fictional character became a global phenomenon.
- Location of the last surrender of arms in the South African War: Cradock was the final place in South Africa where arms were officially laid down at the end of the South African War, with the event occurring four days after the Peace of Vereeniging was signed in 1902.
- Birthplace of Afrikaans publication: The first-ever article published in the Afrikaans language appeared in the local newspaper, the Cradock News, on December 4, 1868. This was a report on the separation of the Eastern Cape from the Western Cape, and the paper achieved the largest circulation in the country at the time.
- Second oldest cricket ground and library in South Africa: Cradock’s cricket ground and library are both the second oldest in the entire country, a testament to the town’s early establishment and development of civic amenities.
- Host to a total solar eclipse viewing by a Prime Minister: In 1942, the South African statesman and Prime Minister Jan Smuts came specifically to Cradock to witness a total eclipse of the sun, as the town was the best location for viewing the celestial event.