Water for five to six months if...

At current water consumption levels, the city has five to six months' water supply left, should sufficient rain not fall. By then, the summer season and holiday-goers will have arrived.

According to George Municipality, the dam level continues to drop by 1,7% per week. Yesterday morning's weekly measurement stood at 46,37%, after 35mm of rain was received since Thursday 20 July.

Responding to a query from the newspaper, media liaison officer Athane Scholtz confirmed that the effluent purification plant has been in operation since 14 June to supplement the dam supply. "The average current flow capacity and delivery of the reuse plant is measured at 7 megalitres per day."

Water from three boreholes, delivering about 2,2 megalitres per day, also supplements the dam supply. "The flow in rivers contributing to our water supply is currently lower than the permitted minimum flow, which means we cannot draw from it to supplement reserves," said Scholtz.

From the institution of water restrictions till 26 July, consumption has dropped from an average of 30 megalitres per day in May and June to a 28 megalitre average during July. George Municipal Manager Trevor Botha warned in a media statement on

5 July that more stringent restrictions will apply, should the dam level reach 45%. This will activate a 15 kilolitre per household per month limitation. At the time, the municipality predicted that this level would be reached by the start of August, if the city's consumption rate was not lowered. "We cannot sit and wait for rain that will come or not come. We must save now so that we do not have regrets later," he said.

The city's total water supply capacity is 55,75-million litres per day. According to the municipality, at the current population growth patterns, this will be sufficient until at least 2028, should normal rainfall conditions prevail.

The average current flow capacity and delivery of the reuse plant is measured at 7 megalitres per day.