Given the seemingly wet summer season for the eastern side of the country, some provinces may have been lulled into a false sense of water security and abundance. The reality is that South Africa – and not only the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape provinces – is a water-scarce country. Therefore, ongoing efforts have to be made to ensure that this resource is properly managed. This warning was again sounded by the Department of Water and Sanitation on a recent visit to the Roodeplaat dam, in Gauteng.