by Malusi Rayi
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) wishes to inform all water users that the abundant rains that fell recently in the Western Cape Catchments have indeed replenished dams across the province.
It is pleasing to see the majority of the River Catchment Systems hovering above the 90% mark, with the Western Cape Water Supply System edging towards 100%.
With the rain pouring down, it can be tempting to think the Western Cape’s water woes are behind us. The recent heavy rains reminded me of the seven years of plenty and seven years of famine that Egypt endured.
This means that we are likely to see periods of abundance and scarcity.
South Africa is considered a water-stressed country with a total annual rainfall of around 450mm, which is far below the global average of 860mm.
Further to this, the country’s rainfall is highly variable, with a low run-off coefficient, meaning that small percentage of rainfall ends up in rivers and dams. This therefore means we can no longer rely on surface water.
While the rains fell in the Western Cape catchments, let’s remember to conserve water.
Water can be conserved in many ways, including the following:
· Closing the tap when brushing your teeth
· Using shorter showers
· Fixing water leaks both in the household and in the environment and
· Harvesting the rains through the rooftops
It is encouraging that dams are recharging rapidly in the Western Cape province, this alone should be a further encouragement to renew efforts to conserve water.
There is no guarantee that tomorrow’s drop will be the same as today’s.
“Water is life, sanitation is dignity”.
* Malusi Rayi, DWS Western Cape.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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