WESTERN CAPE NEWS - Almost midway through the winter season, the ongoing drought conditions remain across the Western Cape.
Anton Bredell, the MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, says that while most areas have sufficient water for the foreseeable future, there is increased concern regarding the coming summer season.
"With dam levels not rising adequately and lower than expected winter rains, we remain concerned about the water situation. The Western Cape disaster management team is monitoring the situation on a real time basis."
The latest Western Cape Disaster Management Centre drought situation report, released this week, notes the following updates across the five Western Cape district municipal areas:
• Overall the situation in the Eden district can be classified as low risk as most municipalities have water availability for six months and more.
• With respect to the hydrological drought in the Central Karoo, this has not improved, nor has it worsened, with the Laingsburg and Prince Albert municipalities still classified as medium risk areas (water availability is three months plus) while Beaufort West is classified as a low risk (water availability is six months plus) area.
• West Coast District Municipality: All municipalities have instituted 20% water restrictions. The Clanwilliam Dam was 15.33% full as of 30 May. The Swartland, Saldanha Bay and Bergrivier municipalies are currently facing water stress as their sole supply source, the Voëlvlei Dam, is 21.02 % full.
• All four municipalities in the Overberg district reported that there is no immediate crisis in their areas, however, should they not receive sufficient winter rainfall the situation will be different this summer.
• The Cape Winelands municipalities adhere to the same water restrictions as the City of Cape Town and municipalities have been classified as medium risk.
The exception is Witzenberg Municipality which has been declared a hydrological drought area, with the situation in Ceres deteriorating, while the situation in Tulbagh is improving.
"On a positive note, at a provincial level there remains significant groundwater in storage, which can be tapped into for emergency supplies with suitably sited boreholes," Bredell says.
Interventions
Several interventions have been undertaken to alleviate water stress. These include:
• R59 million in fodder relief for the agriculture sector, of which R27 million remains to be sourced from the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development.
• Reprioritisation of Municipal Infrastructure Support Grant funding: R6.2m has already been transferred to three local municipalities for drilling and equipping of boreholes.
• A further R8 million has been requested from the department of Water and Sanitation for the drilling and equipping of boreholes for affected municipalities.
This amount was approved, but the funds are still outstanding.
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