Water conservation still vital despite recent rains: official
Although the rainfall experienced in parts of South Africa yesterday has brought some immediate relief, officials are warning the country's water problems are far from over.
Department of Water spokesperson Sputnik Ratau says it's important for people to understand that good rainfall is required across the entire catchment area, not just over a specific area experiencing shortages.
He is urging those who have had rain to continue to adhere to restrictions and use water responsibly.
"We are working towards ensuring that our catchment is actually even more stable than what we've had over the last bit. So wherever we have had a bit of rainfall, we need to be able to look after that rainwater so that we can ensure, going forward, that we have a safety net and [dams won't necessarily dry up],"he said.
Ratau meanwhile says pumping water from the UThongathi River and the mandatory restrictions have helped to stabilise water levels at Hazelmere Dam.
To minimise the effect of the decreasing water level on the consumer, the department has put water restrictions in place and constructed a temporary pump station which transfers between 8 million and 12 million litres of water from the river to the dam.
(File photo)