Cape Town - The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is calling on all water users in the Western Cape to help avoid future water restrictions by implementing water conservation and demand management measures to reduce demand by least 10%.
This follows an annual meeting between the department and water users of the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) to understand expectations for the next year regarding water supply requirements.
They reflected on their experiences of the worst drought on record and looked for a consensus recommendation not to impose any water restriction for the hydrological year from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023.
Department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said all the water users and attendees of the WCWSS steering committee meeting were satisfied that the current water availability would meet the water demands for the 2022/23 hydrological year and believed that if all water users complied to reduce the demand by at least 10%, that would assist to avoid implementation of restrictions.
There has been a focus on the dam levels this winter following concerns about the dry winter in the province after the SAWS Seasonal Climate Watch predicted below-average rainfall for the Western region.
UCT climate system analysis group PhD student Stefaan Conradie told the Cape Argus that the province was roughly on the water use and rainfall trajectories of the summer of 2014/2015 when the previous WCWSS drought started.
“We lost about 55% from dam levels over September 2014 to May 2015, so if things continue on the current trajectories, that would leave us with approximately 32% dam levels at the end of May 2023 and we would be staring back at a ‘Day Zero’ prospect in 2023/2024 – with all the social, political and economic consequences that come with it,” Conradie.
Ratau said the WCWSS was vulnerable to many impacts including longer periods of dry, hot days, less annual rainfall, water losses, irresponsible use of water, and other contributing factors (just like any other water catchment).
“As the department continuously monitors the WCWSS, everyone should note that should there be any significant changes that could potentially place water availability of the WCWSS at risk, a departmental decision on interventions will be communicated accordingly,” Ratau said.