Water Wise Watch: December

This month at Water Wise

"Do you know where your water comes from?"
Lately, Water Wise has been working through the ideas and perceptions that people have regarding water. Do people understand how water is treated and processed before being transported to their homes? Do people know how much water they use, and how much water costs? Do people want to save water? Recent reports from Cape Town indicate that local users are not reducing their consumption enough and have failed to stick to the consumption targets set out by the municipality. Why is this? The region's dams are quickly running out of water and there will come a day when the reservoirs are completely dry. 'Day Zero' as this day has been dubbed, has only been avoided in the Cape as a result of the recent rains experienced throughout the country. Now is the time to think about water. What does it mean to you? Are you Water Wise?

Water Wise Tip of the Month:
Townhouses and cluster homes are springing up everywhere and have become an affordable and safe way of life. And with small homes come small gardens. However, just because you have a small yard doesn't mean you can no longer enjoy home-grown food. The edible garden is the deal concept for small spaces. Instead of planting lawn or flower beds, use the space in your yard to grow vegetables and herbs. Many vegetables and herbs are attractive and grow in a variety of shapes and colours. Try the decorative varieties of chives, kale, lettuce, spinach, and cauliflower to spruce up your townhouse garden! Plant your veggies in pots and containers, and don't forget to zone your plants to ensure that you save water and your plants receive the ideal amount of water to grow healthy and strong.

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Local Water Wise News (Click the headings in bold below to read each article)

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Capetonians failing to stick to water consumption targets
"Less than half of Cape Town's residents adhered to the City's 87 litres per day individual water consumption targets in the last two weeks, according to Mayor Patricia de Lille."

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Water dept will throttle water supply to 30 municipalities as R10.7bn debt piles up
"An ongoing culture of non-payment by local municipalities has exacerbated the water troubles South Africa faces, with the Department of Water and Sanitation currently owed R10.7-billion, Minister Nomvula Mokonyane revealed on Thursday."

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Low-flying choppers to confirm anti-drought water mapping on the Cape Flats
"Residents of Cape Town's Philippi, Khayalitsha and Mitchell's Plain might think they are imagining things when they see a helicopter, carrying what looks like a giant steering wheel over their properties this week."

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'Much deeper than we expected': Huge peatland offers up more surprises
"Scientists recently discovered the world's biggest tropical peatland in the Congo Basin rainforest of Central Africa. The peatland straddles the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo."

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15,000 scientists give catastrophic warning about the fate of the world in new 'letter to humanity'
"The message updates an original warning sent from the Union of Concerned Scientists that was backed by 1,700 signatures 25 years ago. But the experts say the picture is far, far worse than it was in 1992..."

Weather for November/December
El NiΓ±o is expected to be in at least a weak La NiΓ±a state throughout the summer period. Even though forecasting of floods at a seasonal time-scale is not possible (i.e. no indication of intensity and timing during the season can be given), above-normal rainfall seasons are usually accompanied by a higher frequency of flood events during an area's main rainfall season. Lower temperatures on average are also expected during the coming summer over the summer rainfall areas. This is due to the higher than normal number of rainfall days expected over the summer rainfall areas.

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Current Dam capacities


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