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South Africa is facing an unprecedented water shortage, which forced authorities in Johannesburg, to issue a pressing call to action for the city’s residents and suburban communities to join hands in conserving water resources
South Africa is facing an unprecedented water shortage, which forced authorities in Johannesburg to issue a pressing call to action for the city’s residents and suburban communities to join hands in conserving water resources. The officials add that failure to act could lead to an imminent system collapse. Elsewhere in the country, in Cape Town, residents are surprised by giant waves splashing the shores and inundating beyond their usual marks to enter dwellings, roads, and restaurants, creating both awe and fear among residents.
Rand Water and Johannesburg Water, two water suppliers in Johannesburg, cautioned that excessive water consumption by residents has placed an unsustainable burden on the city’s water infrastructure. Water levels are critically low in reservoirs.
Utilities are urging residents to adopt immediate water-saving measures, including reducing shower times to a mere two minutes, reserving toilet flushing for essential purposes, and restricting car washing to weekends using buckets. Residents are being told to refrain from filling swimming pools until the water scarcity crisis subsides. They are also told to abstain from irrigating gardens and lawns with potable water, and promptly address or report any water leaks. September to March is South Africa’s dry season. But this year around, there is an alarming shortage of water, leaving certain residents and vital institutions such as hospitals without access to water, prompting widespread dissatisfaction.
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In the meantime, on the tourist coast near Cape Town, strong tides combined with violent winds caused a powerful swell over the weekend, flooding streets and houses in places. Reports indicate that in a seaside restaurant in Kalk Bay, a fishing village nestled in an open bay on the Atlantic, around thirty kms. from Cape Town, the water surprised customers by rushing in through the windows. Experts explain this curious phenomenon and how it happens. A rising tide, with an above-average coefficient, can cause large waves. Splurging waters from sea gushing to streets and nearby restaurants and other dwellings are shared in social media. Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Institute has issued a warning for the country’s 3,000 km of coastline, and emergency services have called for caution and several beaches in the region have been closed.
