If Gautengers use water sparingly between now and May — when authorities will re-assess the drought situation — restrictions might not be necessary in 2006 and 2007, Rand Water said on Wednesday.
This is in spite of the Vaal Dam being only 32% full and falling by a further one percent each day. The statement included a list of nine tips and a warning that when the Vaal Dam reaches the 16% mark, water will have to be released from other sources in the Vaal system.
”At that stage water will be released from Sterkfontein Dam near Harrismith to flow via the Wilge River into Vaal Dam to maintain the level to 16% or slightly above,” read a statement from Rand Water.
”The Department of Water Affairs (DWAF) will warn affected parties of releases at least two weeks before this happens by means of the media and through organised agriculture,” said DWAF engineer Walther van der Westhuizen.
”There is enough water in the Vaal system to use during the next two years.”
Rand Water’s head of catchment management, Francois van Wyk, repeated warnings that the rainfall season was expected to be below average, which meant the Vaal Dam was not expected to fill up this summer.
”This implies that by next winter, the dam will still be very low, and the winter still lies ahead (where there will be no rain). It does not take much to realise that we are in a serious drought situation,” he said.
Van Wyk pointed out that the low-level Vaal Dam was being fed from upriver by the Bloemhof Dam, which was in an even worse state.
The tips were:
to save over 100 litres a day in the toilet by reducing the volume of water flushed by placing two 1-litre bottles filled with water in the cistern;
not to leave the tap running while brushing teeth, shaving, rinsing dishes or washing vegetables, thereby saving five litres of water at a time;
to save 200 litres taking a short shower and installing a flow regulator;
to use a half-full bath rather than a full bath;
to ensure the washing machine and dish washer have full loads before switching them on (washing machines use about 150 litres, and dishwashers 60 to 150 litres for every wash, regardless of wash size);
to save about 30 litres a day by repairing leaks;
to use a bucket when washing the car;
to save hundreds of litres by cleaning paths with a broom instead of a hose; and
to use a sprinkler with a timer as a sprinkler left on can waste about 1 000 litres an hour. – Sapa