Government urges SA to save water as drought threat looms

South Africa’s government has called on municipalities, businesses, farmers, communities and households to share responsibility for conserving water as the country prepares for an El Niño summer that could bring below-normal rainfall and higher temperatures.

David Jacobs, chief director of cluster communication at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), made the call in an article on SAnews, saying: “The responsibility to secure reliable water supplies cannot rest with government alone.”

The South African Weather Service has forecast that El Niño will influence conditions in the 2026/27 summer season, raising the risk of higher temperatures and below-normal rainfall.

In a statement on 1 September, the GCIS said the event was likely to intensify and could become the strongest in living memory. Jacobs said South Africa is regarded as one of the 30 driest countries in the world, with average annual rainfall about 40% below the global average.

The department of water and sanitation is taking a risk-based approach to assessing and managing the effects of El Niño on water resources and services, he said.

Preparations include talks with the agricultural sector, water boards, catchment management agencies and the National Disaster Management Centre, aimed at improving coordination and identifying ways to limit the effects of drought.

Alongside this, the National Water Action Plan sets out investment in infrastructure, the completion of delayed projects and reforms to address weaknesses in municipal water management.

The National Water Access Acceleration Programme is extending safe drinking water to underserved communities through boreholes and the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

Jacobs said preparedness must go beyond the immediate threat from El Niño. An estimated 37% to 42% of potable water is unaccounted for, with losses from leaks, wastage and illegal connections adding pressure to an already scarce resource, he said.

He called on municipalities to prioritise maintenance and fix leaks promptly, on communities to report vandalism and suspicious activity to the police, and on law enforcement agencies to hold those who damage or steal water infrastructure to account.

Households were also urged to limit unnecessary consumption, particularly on garden irrigation and swimming pools, to reuse water where appropriate and to harvest rainwater for gardening, cleaning and other non-drinking uses.

“Water conservation must become a consistent practice rather than a temporary response to drought warnings,” Jacobs wrote.