Cape Town - Western Cape MEC of local government, environmental affairs and development planning, Anton Bredell, has reiterated the call for municipalities across the province to save water.
Bredell made this call during a talk at the Stellenbosch Rate Payers Association earlier this week.
Currently, the average combined dam level in the province is 50.4%.
This is down from 51.3% last week and lower than the 55.8% recorded in 2022.
Dams supplying Cape Town are currently at 57.9% capacity, which is down from 58.2% last week, and 68.4% recorded for this time last year.
“Our provincial dam levels are hovering at 50%, and we do not know how much rain we will receive this coming winter. Please save water now, so we do not have to take drastic measures next year,” he said.
Recently, the provincial government released its 15-year Integrated Water Resilience and Drought Plan.
The plan developed a set of scenarios for low and high growth and looked at each municipality within the Western Cape. It then calculates water demand for the different populations and economic growth projections.
The plan also revealed that the bulk of new water demand will come from within the greater Cape Metro region and surrounding Cape Winelands and West Coast N7 corridors, with growth pressures in the Southern Cape in and around George and Plettenberg Bay.
Bredell said annual growth in new water demand could be as much as 4.5% for Stellenbosch, followed by 4% for Drakenstein and Swartland.
However, Bredell said with behavioural changes, and if businesses implemented initiatives such as rainwater harvesting, reusing water, and greywater usage where appropriate, the new water demand can be kept between 2.3% and 2.7% for Stellenbosch.
“We need to plan and budget for this growth in demand. But we also have to develop a water-saving mindset that must become a permanent part of our relationship with water,” Bredell said.
He further added the current high levels of rolling blackouts have a direct impact on water distribution and wastewater management.
“Without electricity, you cannot run pumps, and all our water supply, water purification, water distribution, and wastewater management systems rely on electrical pumps. If you can save water, you are also helping us alleviate the pressure on these water systems,” Bredell said.
According to Bredell, the Western Cape government has transferred R89 million from contingency funds to municipalities for the procurement of backup generators for water systems.
IOL