Dam levels in the Western Cape drop below 50%

Cape Town - While the Western Cape received some rain on Monday, it was to no reprieve for dam levels which have since dropped to below 50% across the province.

Western Cape MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell has called on municipalities across the province to evaluate its water security and consider implementing water restrictions.

This call came after the Department of Water and Sanitation released its weekly report on Monday and indicated the average dam level for Western Cape dams are 49.7%, and 56.4% for the dams providing water to Cape Town.

Bredell said the water dam levels are significantly lower than that during the same time last year when the province saw a combined dam level of 65% and Cape Town dam levels at 80.8%.

“My department will be interacting with each municipality in the province to assess and evaluate their water security situation.

“Where necessary, we will recommend that water restrictions are implemented sooner, while there are still options available,” Bredell said.

He said municipalities should ensure their water infrastructure is well maintained to minimise leaks and water management systems should be optimised so all water can be accounted for.

Bredell said catchments should be kept free of alien plants, as this can also save volumes of water.

He said residents also play a huge role in saving water.

“Small individual actions, such as reusing water, can make a huge collective difference. We should always treat water as a scarce and valuable resource, irrespective of our dam levels,” Bredell added.

robin.francke@inl.co.za

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