‘Dire’ level three water rationing likely in thirsty Gauteng

28 October 2016 - 20:44 By Kingdom Mabuza

Level three restrictions are dire but they will be imposed if Gauteng’s residents don’t reduce usage by 15 percent. "Level three water restriction is like load shedding. Level three means water rationing‚” Joburg Water spokeswoman Tidimalo Chuene said on Friday.Water shedding a risk if residents don't act fast - City of JohannesburgThe City of Johannesburg says it's moving closer to water shedding if residents continue to ignore restrictions. The City of Johannesburg has already warned residents it would be forced to implement level three water restrictions if consumption is not reduced.Ekurhuleni residents aren’t off the hook; they face the reality of “watershedding".Mayoral committee member Tiisetso Nketle said water rationing will come into effect soon to bring Ekurhuleni’s consumption down.She and Mayor Mzwandile Masina were to have this week signed off a plan to impose rationing. At the time of going to print‚ the details of the plan had not yet been finalised.The Vaal Dam is 27 percent full. Nketle said once the water level reaches 20 percent‚ by law‚ no water may be distributed from the reservoir.The Water and Sanitation ministry expects municipalities to impose restrictions before the country becomes water stressedThe department has warned that the consequence of not heeding a call to conserve water will be “horrendous”.Department spokesman Sputnik Ratau said it was disturbing that the average water levels in the country were below 50 percent but Gauteng has not been able to save the 15 percent."Once we reach lowest levels it will be a national disaster and it will affect the economy severely‚ and the consequences of that will be horrendous‚" he said.The Water Research Council says KwaZulu-Natal‚ Free State‚ North West‚ Limpopo‚ and Mpumalanga are feeling the full effects of the drought and that some areas of the Eastern Cape‚ Northern Cape and Western Cape are disaster areas...

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