Residents of Cape Town are being urged to continue their efforts in saving water, as the Western Cape faces ongoing water shortages. The latest figures reveal that as of 4 April 2023, the dam levels in Cape Town were at 59%.
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The situation has been exacerbated by poor rainfall during the winter seasons of 2015, 2016 and 2017, coupled with a rapidly growing population and economy. Climate change has also added to the pressure on the province’s water supply.
To ease the strain, municipalities across the province are continuing to implement water restrictions ranging from level 1 to 6, with higher tariffs on water consumption and penalties for wastage. The restrictions are aimed at encouraging residents and businesses to use only what they need.
Water usage in the Western Cape is not limited to households and sanitation needs. Agriculture, manufacturing and other industries all require a reliable and sustainable water supply. Water is also lost to evaporation, leaks in supply pipes, and deliberate wastage.
To help ease the demand on the province’s water supply, residents are being encouraged to go beyond ordinary water-saving measures and get creative in finding new ways to save water.
Report leaks and burst pipes to the local municipalities, use the water-saving tips provided by the authorities and share ideas on social media to encourage others to do their bit.
The province is supplied with water by 44 main dams, with a collective storage capacity of 1,870.4 million cubic meters. As of 3 April 2023, the average storage across the province was 51.8%.
Residents can keep track of dam storage levels in their region by consulting the map provided by the National Department of Water and Sanitation.
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