KwaZulu-Natal faces water crises damaging tourism and causing outages

Sewage and other contaminants have entered the Albert Falls Dam in KwaZulu-Natal, triggering algal blooms that signal deteriorating water quality. The municipality acknowledges the issue but attributes responsibility to multiple parties and says long‑term fixes will need funding. The pollution has forced the cancellation of the Bass Classic fishing tournament, a key attraction for the province's tourism sector.

Separately, eThekwini Municipality reported a major water outage affecting parts of Durban, including Umlazi, Ensimbini and Folweni. A suspected restriction on the Southern Aqueduct left several reservoirs at critically low levels, halting water distribution to thousands of households. Officials are investigating the cause, deploying water tankers and urging residents to conserve water until service can be restored.