Cape Town - Rhodes University on Monday said that there no plans to shut down the institution, as they are monitoring the water crisis in the area.
Treated water is being supplied from Settlers Dam and whilst the dam level is very low, the university said it is closely monitoring the situation, and has thrown its full weight behind the plan to prolong this supply for as long as possible as per the water crisis plan released by the municipality.
The university added that a plan has been developed for the time if and when Settlers Dam was to run dry, in which case treated water will be supplied to the entire city on a rotational basis from the Glen Melville Dam via the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works (JKWTW).
"The university has been working closely with various arms of government and the municipality to get the JKWTW functioning optimally prior to the potential Settlers Dam outage," said university spokesperson, Ilva Pieterse.
"The University is obviously concerned about the recent shutdown of the JKWTW due to the inflows of highly turbid water, and is liaising with the relevant authorities in this regard. The University is also assisting with the supply of clean water to communities on the eastern side of town.
"Regarding the statement from Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Sizwe Mabizela, which states "Rhodes University will have to close its doors" attention is drawn to the fact that the original statement indicates that this will only happen in the absence of reasonable water sources. As already mentioned, the university is monitoring the situation very closely."
@TheCapeArgus