The Stellenbosch Local Municipality is set to reevaluate its existing Level 2 water restrictions, which came into effect on 1 December 2018.
This comes after Western Cape dams reached their highest recorded levels since 2015, with late winter rainfall over the past weeks leading to a steady state of inflow.
“Discussions [regarding water restrictions] are generally held at the end of the winter rainfall period,” says Stuart Grobbelaar, Communications Manager for Stellenbosch Local Municipality.
“[T]he national department informs the different sectors how much bulk water they can consume in the coming year,” he adds. Once these figures are published, the municipalities can then “translate this into specific water restrictions.”
Winter rainfall in the Western Cape typically ends in late-August, according to the Water Research Commission. However, a more precise time frame for the expected discussions is not known, as the Department of Water and Sanitation did not indicate when it expects to release the aforementioned figures.
The City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limburg, says that a decision concerning water restrictions in nearby Cape Town “will be taken around October/November, after the hydrological season.”
Grobbelaar confirmed that any plans by the Stellenbosch Local Municipality to ease water restrictions will be undertaken in consultation with the Department — a process that is conventional, but not obligatory, for municipalities to follow.
The month of August has seen dam levels across the Western Cape increase considerably.
“The dams in the Western Cape System Supply Area have shown a steady increase within the last few weeks since winter started,” reads a National Department of Water and Sanitation press release. “Most state-owned dams in the Western Cape are currently on average 64.55% full, which is a 12% increase on last year.”
Theewaterkloof Dam is at 70.8%! 👏👏👏
📷 @StellMun Water Services pic.twitter.com/RVdb7wlICA
— Stellenbosch Municipality (@StellMun) August 12, 2019
According to the most recent figures released by the Western Cape Government, the three dams that are nearest to Stellenbosch are all at high storage levels — the Berg River Dam is at 101.1%, Wemmershoek Dam is at 85.3%, and Theewaterskloof Dam is at 70.3%.
However, despite increased rainfalls and the prospect of restrictions being eased, the Municipality warns against the overuse of water.
“[R]esidents across the province are still urged to continue using water sparingly,” says Grobbelaar, pointing out that water resources “will always be under pressure and we need to continue with the good practices we have seen.”