South Africans should use water sparingly due to the drought in many parts of the country, Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Buyelwa Sonjica said on Tuesday.
Indications from the South African Weather Service are that prospects for above-normal rainfall this season are not good.
The high temperatures, probable low rainfall and very dry soils mean dam levels are unlikely to rise significantly during the summer season, Sonjica’s department said.
The department, water boards and municipalities are taking strong measures to protect the availability of water for basic needs.
In Limpopo, some municipal dams have run dry while others are running low.
The situation is serious in the Luvuvhu/Letaba catchment area and severe water restrictions were intensified on October 21.
These restrictions have reduced the amount of water that can be used by the agricultural sector by between 50% and 80%, while domestic and industrial use has been restricted by between 20% and 30%.
The department said water restrictions were first imposed in various parts of the country in January 2003.
”These latest restrictions are indicative of the prolonged effect of the drought,” the department said.
The restrictions on the Komati, Lomati and Crocodile rivers in Mpumalanga are equally harsh and vary between 80% and 85%.
The situation in many parts of the Free State is serious, with restrictions on agricultural use varying from 80% to 100%. A large number of towns have also introduced strict measures to curtail consumption.
The department said although the average dam level in the Eastern Cape is still above 60%, it is down by 11% compared with last year.
”Nonetheless, serious shortages are already being experienced by many municipalities, and in some cases water is being tankered in.”
In the winter-rainfall areas of the Western Cape, the department was able to reduce water restrictions from 20% to 5%. This was possible due to good rains towards the latter part of the season increasing average dam levels from a low of 26,1% to 78% currently.
The December holidays will pose a particular problem during a drought of this nature, it said.
A number of the coastal towns are experiencing shortages of water. This will be exacerbated by the influx of holidaymakers. This also applies to many rural areas, which will experience an influx of workers returning home for the festive season.
The department said many rural towns are dependent on groundwater and there are clear indications that this source is ”heavily” under stress due to the below-average rainfalls over an extended period. — Sapa