Following the announcement earlier this year of plans to introduce the Digital Water Tower in Knysna, the public-facing water information platform is now going live.
The initiative follows engagements between Vodacom, the Western Cape Government and Knysna Municipality regarding the water challenges facing the area. The Digital Water Tower was subsequently approved by Knysna Council, with teams working over recent months to gather, analyse and structure the data required for the platform.
Knysna Executive Mayor Thando Matika said, “Water is one of our municipality’s most precious resources, and managing it responsibly requires all of us to understand the challenges we face. The Digital Water Tower gives us an opportunity to put meaningful information into the hands of our residents and stakeholders, because we cannot manage what we cannot see or understand.”
He said this platform gives us an important tool to monitor trends, strengthen transparency and encourage more responsible water consumption. Most importantly, it reinforces a message that must remain at the heart of our water journey: our water is our shared responsibility.
“We have faced difficult periods in managing our water resources, and we know that water security requires sustained effort, investment, innovation and partnership. Today, we are taking another step forward, using technology not as an end in itself, but as a means of helping us make better decisions and build a more resilient Greater Knysna.”
The implementation forms part of the broader support being provided to Knysna Municipality, including the continued support of Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, under the Section 145 Support Plan. The initiative has also received support from the Western Cape Department of Local Government, with guidance provided by Graham Paulse, Head of the Department of Local Government.
The Digital Water Tower provides residents and other stakeholders with a simple, mobile-friendly view of available information relating to water consumption, water losses and supply across the municipality.
The water-loss section allows users to explore monthly data at municipal and network level, including areas such as Knysna and Sedgefield, with further detail available at township level where data allows. As smaller demand zones are established, these can be incorporated to provide increasingly localised information. A separate daily data view provides information on water supply volumes and trends across the different networks and towns.
The platform is intended to make water information easier to access and understand, providing a shared view of the available data for residents, government, businesses and other stakeholders.
The concept behind the Digital Water Tower recognises that water scarcity and non-revenue water are challenges that affect communities collectively. Greater access to information can support a better understanding of these challenges and help inform engagement and interventions over time.
The Knysna deployment follows the introduction of the Digital Water Tower in the City of Tshwane in 2025, with the support of the Strategic Water Partners Network (SWPN), funding from Vodacom and implementation by Mezzanine together with technical partner GLS.
The Digital Water Tower is intended as a supporting tool within the broader response to Knysna’s water challenges. While the platform itself cannot resolve these challenges, it provides a mechanism for making relevant water data more accessible and for tracking information as interventions and the water network develop over time.
Vodacom and Mezzanine will continue to support the implementation and development of the platform, working alongside Knysna Municipality, the Western Cape Government and other relevant stakeholders
To view the Dashboard visit https://www.knysna.gov.za/digital-water-tower-dashboard/