The first week of October 2022 saw Gauteng implementing level 2 water restrictions, despite the Vaal Dam being almost 95% full. Rand Water’s infrastructure can not keep up with supplying reservoirs with water. Unusually high temperatures in September 2022 and very little rain, combined with overpopulation, has resulted in a 'perfect storm' for a catastrophic strain on an ageing infrastructure.

The only solution that is cost effective and can be implemented with immediate effect, is reducing water demand.

A drought does not ambush you. It’s rather like sitting in a pot of water that’s gradually heated. Before you know it, the pot reaches the boiling point of day zero. So, Gauteng has water in abundance. Seemingly. For now.

Water-consumerism will literally kill us. We pay council for the service of delivering water. We are not buying water from the municipality. It is unlike me going to buy my weekly milk and 4 loaves of bread (and maybe the odd bottle of spring water).

Let’s work with the me-buying-4-loaves metaphor a little: I always buy milk and 4 loaves of bread on Mondays, from the same place. It's a routine. I only need 3 loaves, but always buy a loaf of just-in-case bread for the dustbin, because you never know. You know? Today my grocer told me out of the blue that I should cut back on the bread, only 3 per customer daily. I’m furious. He tells me a nonsense story about delivery and supply, bla-bla-bla. The usual excuse. He lost me at ‘delivery’, anyway. At home I jump on the internet. It’s a conspiracy! The supplier has more than enough bread in stock! I’m the customer! I want my bread! Upon further research I realise the dilemma. In My-Town people always buy more bread than they need. The delivery trucks cannot keep up with the deliveries. The astonishing population growth in My-Town isn't helping and for some reason many My-Towners bought an extra loaf of ‘just-in-case’ bread in the last month. I suddenly realise that it is to everyone’s benefit if every citizen of My-Town cuts back on the bread consumption. Perhaps start to enjoy the crusts that I throw away and for all I know even put the bread that is on the verge of becoming stale in the freezer for a rainy day.

Playing a game of blame will not change the water situation in Gauteng. The immediate solution is not a matter of 'finding more water' to supply the increase in demand. It is much simpler: using only the water we need and stopping leaks. In his research published in Hydrological Heritage Overview: Cape Town (2016), Professor Matthys Dippenaar makes the observation that water supply is not solely a matter of finding water. In Gauteng (and the rest of the world), we need to lower our water demand by at least 15% instead of expecting a 15% increase in supply. This will provide the relief we need to focus on upgrading and maintaining the infrastructure.

The water restrictions in Gauteng is a golden opportunity to reassess our water behaviour, continue to raise awareness and turn this crisis into a case study on 'how to get it right'. We live in a country that does not have water in abundance. South Africa is already a water scarce country. Should Gauteng experience a drought like that of the Western Cape in 2015-2017, it would have devastating effects on the economy of South Africa.

Our current situation calls for an immediate and intentional change in mindset. This is possible by simply being water-aware and changing our water behaviour, reporting and fixing leaks, and holding each other accountable.In other words: 

• Do what you can to improve your water-efficiency. 
• Report leaks. 
• Use only the water you need. 
• Help friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to do the same.

The amount of water we have on earth is fixed; we cannot make more water or keep looking for alternative sources. If we aim to lower our demand by 20-25%, we will not merely avert another 'short term water crisis', but have surplus water we can sustainably manage and respect going forward.