Remain water-wise as dams take a dip

THE Western Cape water supply system declined by 1% in the last week.

This is according to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) hydrological report of Monday, October 21.

Western Cape provincial DWS head Rashid Khan said the system was currently at 79.28% as compared to 80.22% last week.

“While we are witnessing a week by week slight drop on dam levels, our state of dams shows our water management decisions are keeping us within the margins of water security,” said Khan.

Khan further stated that the Gouritz River catchment, which covers the central Karoo and the Southern Cape, remained a worry.

Local municipalities in that area were already preparing to announce restrictions for the summer, he said.

DWS is pleased that Olifants Doorn River catchment remains stable as it has been above 90% for the past few weeks.

The Theewaterskloof Dam, which is the largest dam in the system, is currently at 69%, a notable increase from 58% at the same time last year.

While current water security is better than it was the past three seasons, DWS encourages users to stretch that bucket of water until the next replenishment.

The SA Weather Service predicts heatwaves across the country for the next few days, a weather condition consistent with high water usage.

DWS urges all water users to use water sparingly during this period.

A special thanks to those who have implemented longer-term recycling measures, using recycled water in lieu of municipal water.

November 1 marks the end of a hydrological cycle and soon after all the data is gathered, DWS will run its scientific yield model.

The yield model is used as decision-making support for allocations to users in the coming year.

Large users, especially the agricultural sector, rely on accurate information on water availability to plan their economic activities for the year ahead.

“Water is life, sanitation is dignity.” SPUTNIK RATAU | Department of Water & Sanitation