Users are urged to use water sparingly during 2023-24 hydrological year.
On the 23 November 2023, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) met with the water users of the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) to hear their expectations for the next year regarding water requirements. This meeting was held between the Department and all the stakeholders, operating forum, and users from the Western Cape Water Supply System, to discuss whether the past hydrological year’s rainfall and the current available water storage would be sufficient to meet the demand for water supply to users of water from the WCWSS.
The meeting is an annual consultation aimed at striking a balance between water users’ allocation (water demands), and the current storage (water availability) levels in the Big Six Dams within the WCWSS that is available to carry users from one hydrological year to another’.
The Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS) supplies water to the City of Cape Town, Theewaterskloof Local Municipality (LM), Drakenstein LM, Stellenbosch LM, Berg River LM, Swartland LM, Saldanha LM, some Mines & Industries as well as Water Management Institutions (representing mostly farmers (irrigation)) in the catchments of the Riviersonderend, Berg & Eerste Rivers.
All the water users and attendees of the WCWSS Steering Committee meeting held on 23 November 2023, were satisfied that the current water availability will meet the water demands for the Hydrological year 2023/24 (1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024). They also reflected on their experiences of the worst drought on record and had a consensus recommendation not to impose any water restriction for this period, but all water users to implement water conservation and water demand management principles to bring their demand down.
As the WCWSS, just like any other water catchment, is vulnerable to many impacts such as longer periods of dry hot days, less annual rainfall, water losses, irresponsible use of water & other contributing factors, water users are cautioned to use water sparingly to avoid future severe restrictions. Users need to keep in mind the worst drought experienced in 2017-2018 when the system was hovering below 30%
While DWS will not be imposing water restrictions in this hydrological cycle it is important to underline the need to be responsible for water use during these times of adequate supply.
Ms Ntombizanele-Bila-Mupariwa says the department encourage all (everyone being supplied with water from the WCWSS) to implement water conservation and water demand management principles and bring their demand down to ensure the protection of the available water supply against any vulnerability of the WCWSS and to avoid future severe water restrictions.
The department calls upon all the users to heed to the advisory below to conserve water.
- Drive down the demand for water.
- Fix water leaks both in the environment and household
- Explore alternate water sources including recycling, ground water and rain-harvesting.
- Not to vandalise infrastructure which leads to unaccepted water leaks.
All water users are reminded that no water can be abstracted from any water resource without authorisation and in the absence of water measuring device(s) installed as per Government Notice No. 41381 of 12 January 2018.
As the department continuously monitors the WCWSS, everyone should note that any significant increase in water use will place the water availability of the WCWSS at risk.
“Water is Life, Sanitation is Dignity”
For more information, contact Andile Tshona Acting Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 060 561 8935.
