W Cape dams still at critically low levels
MEC and mayco member urge residents to continue saving water
DESPITE recent spring rainfall, dam levels in the Western Cape have only increased marginally, MEC of Environmental Affairs Anton Bredell has said. Bredell said he was concerned because as of Monday dams were 61.4 percent full compared to 90.9percent at the same time last year.
“We have not yet had enough rain this year to be comfortable. All the major dams in the province, with the exception of the Clanwilliam dam, are still very far from ideal levels,” Bredell said.
“These include the Voëlvlei dam (69 percent full), the Theewaterskloof dam (53percent full) and the Brandvlei dam (57 percent).
“The Clanwilliam dam is 100 percent full and is the one highlight.”
Bredell called on the province’s residents to continue conserving water to ensure the dam levels recover ahead of the drier summer season.
Western Cape dam levels are slowly recovering after a fairly dry winter with another cold front expected to hit Cape Town this week, bringing more showers to fill the reservoirs.
At the start of this month the Cape Argus reported that the province’s water supply was at 60.25 percent.
Rashid Khan, the provincial head for the Department of Water and Sanitation at the time said: “This is encouraging, considering that we are expecting rain showers this week.”
There was still some concern as Cape Town’s water supply can only last for 14 months with the current capacity, according to mayoral committee member for utility services Ernest Sonnenberg.
“Sixty percent storage capacity in our dams is enough for 14 months where 80 percent would have given us 24 months – this is ideal. We thank residents for helping to save water, but we are appealing to them to help save a little more,” he said.
Khan said there were two aspects that influenced water security: one is rain that falls in catchments and subsequent flows into the dams and the other is lowering water use which can lead to water use efficiency.
Agri Western Cape spokeswoman Jeanne Boshoff said: “We are thankful with the prospect of more rain this week.”
Continued rainfall in July bolstered dam levels across the province, the Department of Local Government had said.
“At the same time last year, levels were on average 62.5 percent. We are very happy about the rain, but we still have some way to go for dams to reach more comfortable levels,” Bredell said in July.
He said snowfall in the province was also welcomed as it played a role in water supply. – ANA and Gadeeja Abbas