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Severe Cape Level 6B restrictions will remain in place, at least until the end of August, and will not be relaxed to a less severe level, the ministry said on Friday. Water and Sanitation. The Department of Water and Sanitation Rashid Khan said after a high-level meeting Friday to discuss the possibility of easing the restrictions, that the rate at which the dams of the United Arab Emirates will increase the number Western Cape's supply was filling up was encouraging – but it was far 85% when restrictions can be lifted according to the October 2017 and January 2018 gazette. "
Restrictions will remain in place for Cape Town and surrounding cities , as well as for agriculture.
"Although the storage system has recovered in recent weeks, rainfall trends for this season still do not show that we have cumulatively received above-average amounts, Khan said.
He said that the national department would hold another high-level meeting in August, with all sectors using the water supply system of the country. Western Cape, to rebadess the situation.
"The current water restrictions will remain unchanged until the next meeting with water users in August, and the rainy trend up to that date will show the watershed. increase or decrease in the management of water restrictions, "he said. Worst Drought in 100 Years
The combined level of Cape supply dams was 55.8% on Thursday, up from 53.05% last week.
Theewaterskloof Dam, the largest of Cape Town's water supply system, water experts say that to recover from three years of drought – the worst in 100 years – the region would need at least one rainy season above 41.2% on Thursday, compared with 20.3% at the same time last year. average rainfall, but preferably two
READ: New announced water restrictions
The meeting took place in response to requests from users of the supply system in Western Cape Water, including Cape Town City, Irrigation Councils and organized agriculture, to Rebadess water restrictions now that winter rains have filled the reservoirs. supply to 55.8% of storage capacity
Last summer, the department cut water supply to agriculture by 60% and 45% at Cap. City translated this into Level 6B restrictions, introduced on February 1, which limited each Cape Town resident to 50 liters of water a day. Level 6B restrictions are still in place
This time last year, the combined storage of Cape Town's six supply dams was 26% – just under half of 55 , 8% today.
"We must be careful
In May, the combined storage of Cape's six supply dams fell to 20%.
Khan warned before Friday's meeting that, although the situation looked good now, there was no telling whether the rest of the rainy season will bring good rains.
"So we have to be careful, we would be in a much better position to make an informed decision in late August or early September. The water situation on the west coast was also better, with the Voelvlei dam 54.6%, supplying 22 cities on the west coast and ending up with the Misverstand dam, which feeds the bay. from Saldanha.
The Deputy Mayor of Cape Town, Ian Neilson, said on Thursday that it's water restrictions have been relaxed "gradually", pbading strict restrictions from level 6B to level 5, and then at the less severe level.
"This so that the impact on water demand can be progressively badessed before each decision."
Level 5 water restrictions allow Capetonians to use 87 liters per gallon person per day, and level 4 restrictions allow 100 liters per person per day
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