Photo by: Bloomberg
The average water level of dams across the Western Cape has dropped to below 20%, with the latest data showing that the major dams in the Western Cape, including the Voëlvlei dam, currently, at 14.7%; the Theewaterskloof dam, at 13.4%; and the Clanwilliam dam, at 6%, are struggling.
Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister Anton Bredell said the provincial disaster management team remains on high alert should matters escalate. “The situation remains serious,” he noted.
He added that the provincial government was implementing a number of short- to medium-term actions to address the ongoing situation as much as possible. “We are already seeing boreholes being dug in afflicted areas. In addition, the entire province was declared a disaster area only a few days ago.”
The province declared five areas local disasters in January 2016 already as part of the ongoing management of the situation.
Bredell has cautioned the public to continue to use water sparingly when it does start to rain, as forecast, over the next few weeks.
“We must ensure that dam levels recover, so when it starts to rain, consumers should not revert back to using water wastefully. South Africans still have a lot to learn about using water responsibly. We must ensure incisive behaviour change regarding the management of water moving forward,” he stated.