Western cape water crisis
Turnaround in Theewaterskloof dam level described as 'incredible'
The City of Cape Town's dams are nearly filled to capacity.
The provincial department says that water consumption in the Zoar area is unacceptably high as the Karoo is being left parched by drought.
The Kannaland Municipality says dams in various areas, including Calitzdorp and Zoar, are running dry.
Officials say drinking water’s running low in these areas, following an unpredicted increase in water consumption over the holiday period.
Swellendam municipal manager Anton Groenewald says that an unpredicted increase in water consumption over the holiday period in Suurbraak and Barrydale is worrying.
The main feeder dam to Beaufort West is empty, and the boreholes on which residents have been relying are rapidly running dry.
An initial R53 million has been committed to the new Greater Cape Town Water Fund, which has been pioneered by global conservation organisation Nature Conservancy.
The national Department of Water and Sanitation says dam levels are not where they should be to consider a relaxation of restrictions.
The municipality declared a local state of disaster in July 2018 due to low dam levels.
The measurement has risen to 25.9% from 23.8% last week.
Department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau says it will still take time for water levels to rise substantially.
The National Department of Water and Sanitation says the Voelvlei Dam is at 13.75% and the Misverstand Dam is at 13.26%, both critically low.
The province needs at least three consecutive years of average rainfall for its dams to recover.
Collectively levels in the cape dams have dropped to just over 17%. The rain seen in Cape Town several days back has made little impact on improving levels.
The Western Cape's average dam levels is currently just over 20% full compared to 21.23% last week. The levels are down a total of 10% compared to the same period last year.
It now stands at over 21% compared to over 22% last week. This time last year, the dam level was under 32%.
Western Province Cricket Association and Safa have expressed concern that the crisis will have a negative impact on the development of sports at a grassroots level.
Authorities in Vredendal, in the northern parts of the Western Cape, fear the local economy stands to lose at least R600 million in revenue due to the drought.
Mayoral committee member for water Xanthea Limberg says the desalination plant will produce a total of seven million litres of potable water.