Zille to meet national disaster management on water crisis

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille will meet with the National Disaster Management team and other authorities on Monday to discuss the impending water crisis.

The meeting is aimed at focusing on preparations for “Day Zero” when the Western Cape runs out of water.

The province is experiencing its worst drought in more than 100 years.

Role-players to attend the meeting include police, the South African Defence Force (SANDF) and the State Security Agency.

Zille will also meet with South African Breweries who have indicated a willingness to bottle and distribute water from its Newlands Spring.

Dam levels in the Western Cape are currently at 26.5% with only a slight chance of light rain forecast for next week.

The Western Cape Agricultural department has invested R67m toward the drought.

Dam levels are however, still at a crucial low.

This crucial low means that dam storage will be at 13.5%. This is when the city will turn off most taps, leaving only vital services with access to water.