Water and Sanitation Dept Urges The Public Not To Panic Over Lower Dam Levels

Despite the heatwave in Gauteng dropping dam levels – the current national average has declined to below the 75% – the Department of Water and Sanitation appealed to citizens saying that there is ‘no need for panic.’ Sputnik Ratau, the department’s spokesperson said the current heatwave which the country has been experiencing in the past week resulted in high rates of evaporation leading to depreciating dam levels.

Although concerns have been raised about the heatwave, the department said that users should rather work with their municipalities and government in reducing consumption.  “As the heat wave is predicted to continue, we would like to encourage all water users to be considerate whilst using water to re-hydrate as well as other uses…let us all be conscious of the delayed rains thus it will take time to recharge the water courses, including groundwater,” said the spokesperson.

Edward Engelbrecht, a SAWS forecaster,  in July said that the country would likely experience a delay in rainfall patterns this summer. The forecaster said temperatures were also expected to be higher than normal. “It causes below normal rainfall in summer rainfall areas and higher than normal temperatures from December to February,” explained Engelbrecht.”

In addition, residents could also expect a 70% chance of an El Nino occurrence, which began mid-spring and will continue into summer.  explained Engelbrecht. “It occurs mostly in the north-eastern parts of the country. There will definitely be above normal [high] temperatures in the northern parts of South Africa.”

El Nino is the warming of sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which influences atmospheric circulation, and consequently rainfall and temperature in specific areas around the world, according to SAWS. Gauteng is not the only province that will experience high temperatures, as the scorching heat will also be expected in the western Highveld of Mpumalanga, SW Bushveld of Limpopo, North West, Free State, northern and north-eastern parts of the Northern Cape.