Joburgers urged to use water carefully as Vaal Dam levels drop

The City of Johannesburg has warned residents to use water sparingly after water levels at the Vaal Dam dropped to just over 50%.

"Vaal Dam [is] sitting at 53.1% and no water transfers to the Vaal Dam system will be possible until November 30 due to maintenance," tweeted the municipality.

The city appealed to residents to not water their gardens between 6am and 6pm, to take shorter showers and shallower baths, and to re-use water.

Meanwhile, dam levels in the Western Cape are starting to show a slight decrease as the summer season approaches and demand rises.

The latest average dam level for the province is 65.6%.

Theewaterskloof, the largest dam in the province, is currently sitting at 70.7%.

Anton Bredell, MEC for local government, environmental affairs and development planning, said water use was expected to increase over the coming months as temperatures in the province rise.

“We remain particularly concerned about the agriculture sector in this region and remain in close contact with all parties involved, including the department of agriculture in the province, to see how we can best support the sector in this difficult time," he said.