”Conserving water now is like having money in the bank in times of need,” said an official from Rand Water this week. Francois Van Wyk, the head of catchments at Rand Water said there the Vaal Dam is half-full and there is adequate water ahead of the rainy season.
”We use about 0,5 to one percent of the dam’s volume per week, so there’s enough water for almost a year. If we have average rainfall during summer, there won’t be a need for restrictions. We also have to remember that we have a back-up storage in Sterkfontein dam which is still 100% full”, said Van Wyk in a statement.
Apart from Sterkfontein dam, the Lesotho highlands water project could also provide additional water, so the chances of them all running dry at the same time were ”extremely limited”, he said.
Van Wyk explained that if all three dams were full, there would be enough water for about six years.
But, Van Wyk said, consumers should always be aware that the situation was sensitive and could change very quickly, making it important to conserve water and to pay for services.
The Southern African region was hit by a drought two years ago, causing widespead crop failure and food shortages, forcing a number of countries including Lesotho and Zimbabwe to declare a national disaster. – Sapa