Water worries are 'not over'

WARNING: IF SA DOESN'T GET ANY MORE GOOD RAINS, WE WILL HAVE A 30% SHORTFALL

- Enkosi Selane

Despite recent improvements in the Vaal Dam's water levels, South Africans should continue to implement water conservation practices, a water expert warns.

According to the department of water and sanitation, the Vaal Dam was at 24.3% on Monday before two sluice gates were opened where the Grootdraai Dam flows into the Vaal.

On Wednesday, the Vaal Dam sat at 25.5% of capacity. This is an increase of 1.26 percentage points. If the current net inflow of 1 054m³ per second is sustained it could take 22.6 days to fill the Vaal Dam.

However, water expert Carin Bosman warned against overly optimistic predictions about the dam's recovery.

"Nobody can predict whether the Vaal Dam will be full at the end of January.

"It depends on both the inflows, which in turn depends on the amount of rain that we receive, the runoff that reaches the river upstream from the Vaal Dam and the levels of consumption," she said.

The department said on Thursday the dam had risen to 27.62%, following recent rainfall.