EDITOR'S COLUMN - No, it wasn't an illusion or wishful thinking, the streets, sidewalks and shrivelled gardens throughout Graaff-Reinet were soaked with rain when residents woke up on Monday morning.

Stormy weather, that had slowly been brewing all day, finally erupted in a torrential downpour over Graaff-Reinet and surrounds on Sunday evening, resulting in some rain gauges receiving more rain in just a few hours than they have in months.

Since then a couple of cloudy days have ensued, and, according to the latest weather forecast, the overcast sky, which carries with it the promise of rain, is sticking around until Saturday.

Following a scorcher of a week in which Graaff-Reinet had seen the mercury soaring into the 40s, it is no wonder that "Rain rain, everywhere", is what most Graaff-Reinetters have been rejoicing over the last couple of days.

The recent rainfall has, after all, been the most precipitation the town has seen in quite a while.

Since the beginning of the year, the town of Graaff-Reinet has received only 23mm of rain (as recorded by the local municipality) - 21mm of which was received during the month of February - 16mm of that over the past weekend.

Bear in mind that these measurements were taken at Magazine Hill in Graaff-Reinet - some areas of Graaff-Reinet, its surrounding district and neighbouring towns have received quite a lot more.

The rain in the Nqweba Dam's catchment area has this week also seen the dam's water level rise from 1.6% to 2.1% (as measured on Tuesday, 12 February ) - a very slight increase, but still good news.

Residents are reminded, however, that despite the rain, the district remains in a drought with more rain desperately needed.

As a local farmer remarked to me this week, "It's wonderful that many farmers have had some rain, but unfortunately, many are still absolutely desperate and deeply concerned about the forthcoming winter in the colder areas due to the very limited veld growth period."

That being said, I refer to the townsfolk when I say that it is often during tough times that a change in mindset can happen.

With nearly 38 000 people and counting, we can no longer rely solely on the dam and the town's boreholes for water, that much the drought has taught us.

We need a multi-pronged attack. It all starts at home, with a greywater system, a rainwater tank and a mindset to use less water as a minimum requirement. 

Then, at a municipal level, proper maintenance of the entire system is crucial. A lot of water is wasted through leaks and burst pipes and we just cannot afford to have that kind of wastage.

The weekend forecast for the Graaff-Reinet area includes a slight chance of rain on Friday, with no measurable moisture forecast for next week.