Waste water at your own peril, Gauteng residents warned
“Municipalities might have to put in place measures for consumers to cut back on their water usage.”
As the country is heading into the winter season, Gauteng consumers have being warned to be prudent when using water.
Department of water and sanitation (DWS) spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said since Gauteng was normally a summer rainfall area, the province may have to contend with depleting water levels in the coming months.
Ratau said water consumers in the province were putting pressure on the integrated Vaal river system leading to a continuing depletion of water from week-to-week.
“The Vaal system has been on the decline for weeks as the major dams that form part of the system are falling, sparking concerns that municipalities might have to put measures in place for consumers to cut back on their water usage.”
He said in a statement that presently, the Vaal system remained unchanged from last week’s 76.3% “but is down from the 89.0% it recorded last year during the same period.
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“Based on the current levels, it shows that the system has been consistently on the decline.
“The Sterkfontein dam is also unaffected this week as it remains at last week’s levels of 93.6%. Last year at the same week the dam’s levels were slightly higher at 95.4%, making it resilient up until now.”
Ratau said it was the levels of the major dams such as the “critical” Vaal and the Grootdraai which have been decreasing.
“The Mohale and Katse dams are still in a depressed state despite their recording minor increases this week.”
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