Will Cape Town need water warriors this summer? I can’t tell you yet, but for now, calls are coming from various government departments to make every drop of water count as the city and province prepare for a hot summer. Summer is likely to be drier and hotter than usual because of the El Niño weather phenomenon.
“With changing weather pattens and El Nino that is predicted to bring heatwaves around December, DWS would like to request everyone to save as much water as possible during the summer season,” said Mnisi.
Will Cape Town need water warriors this summer?
For a refresher, the Smile Water Warriors was a long-running water conservation campaign launched by Smile FM in January 2017. The campaign was to promote water-saving habits across the community.
“Mnisi urged residents, businesses & industries to use water responsibly & avoid wastage. This is to safeguard the sustainable management & future resilience of water resources.”
“Mnisi urged residents, businesses & industries to use water responsibly & avoid wastage. This is to safeguard the sustainable management & future resilience of water resources.”
Keep on saving water ahead of the hot summer season
Back at water storage headquarters, the situation is stable for now. The Provincial Water and Sanitation Department said that storage reservoir levels have remained stable this week, even though there were minor decreases in some dams when compared to the previous week.
The acting Provincial Head, Mkhevu Mnisi, says the Cape Town System, comprising 6 dams, saw a decrease from 75.30% last week to 75.00% this week. At the same time, the Western Cape State of Dams recorded a decline from 79.6% to 79.40%.
READ MORE: Make every drop count
DWS urges residents, businesses and industry to help save water
According to a media statement, the Theewaterskloof Dam remains the same at last week’s 75.94%. This dam is the largest in the Cape Town Water Supply System. Mnisi says other catchments, including Gouritz, Breede and Olifants, have recorded stable storage levels. He says most dams are hovering over 94% while others are overflowing.
The Theewaterskloof Dam remains the same at last week’s 75.94%
Mnisi added that in the Berg River, only the Lower Steenbras with 46,15% and the Voelvlei Dam with 58,58% are sitting at the bottom, while other dams are above 80%. He says that in the Garden Route District, the Akkerkloof Dam continues to increase. As of this past Monday, the storage reservoir was sitting at 71.3%. Mnisi has appealed to water users to continue using water with due consideration, emphasising that it’s important for every resident, business and industry to save water. He says this will ensure that the province remains water secure as the summer season approaches.
