1. Water quantity and drought

• What are the water levels in the Western Cape reservoirs?
  • Western Cape dam levels, water storage weekly status map and state of dams data
  • City of Cape Town’s weekly dam level and consumption dashboard

• What is the Government doing to manage water better in the event of another drought?
  • All tiers of government are actively preparing for better water management in the face of another drought crisis through water restriction policies and procedures, reducing their own consumption and leakages, awareness raising, augmenting supply, amongst other interventions. For the latest updates please refer to the links in the previous question.

• What can my business do to become more water resilient before the next drought?
  • GreenCape’s Water Sector Desk can assist your business for free with starting its journey today to becoming water resilient
  • Consult the Western Cape Business Support FAQ on Water
  • Consult the City of Cape Town water saving tips, leaks and bursts guide, alternative water sources guidelines and Smart Living Handbook
  • Contact The National Cleaner Production Centre (NCPC) South Africa for a water footprint audit

• Where can I find rainfall data?
  • DWS rainfall trends
  • UCT’s Climate Science Analysis Group (CSAG) rainfall monitoring

• Where can I find help about drought?
  • GreenCape Drought Business Support
  • Consult the Western Cape Business Support FAQ

2. Water and soil quality

• What is the state of our rivers and dams in the Western Cape and South Africa?
  • South African River Health Programme
  • Microbial monitoring data interactive map
  • Eutrophication monitoring data interactive map
• Where can I do soil, water and plant diagnostics in the Western Cape?
  • Elsenburg Soil Water Plant Diagnostics (contact details can be found at the link)

3. Legislation and authorisations

• What is a Water Use License?
  • A Water Use License is a type of water use authorisation. Others types of authorisations include General Authorisations and Existing Lawful Use. This guideline explains the different types of authorisations: Water use guideline document
• Why do I have to register my water use?
  • As water is a national resource, the Department of Water and Sanitation needs to keep a record of who is using how much water, so that they can plan for future supply. This guideline explains the different types of registrations: Water use guideline document
• What are the timeframes for a Water Use License Application (WULA)?
  • Refer to the Water Use License Application (WULA) website and application forms for specific timeframes
  • Agriculture is a priority sector for which processing times of WULAs have been reduced to 60 days
• Do I need to apply for water use authorisation when I buy new land?
  • This guideline explains the different types of authorisations and when they are required: Water use guideline document
• Do I have to install a water meter to monitor my borehole water usage?
  • Any water taken for irrigation purposes requires measurement according to the Regulations requiring that the taking of water for irrigation purposes be measured, recorded and reported (Notice 131 of Government Gazette 40621 of 17 February 2017).
• What is a wetland and may I drain the water from it or cultivate it?
  • Wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally.
  • According to the Forest Act (no 122 of 1984), no one may drain and/or cultivate any wetland, or do so within ten metres of the flood area of the wetland, without a permit. It is also unlikely that a permit will be granted to drain a wetland which is permanently saturated during normal rainfall season.