Water shortage in South Africa

2015 was the hottest driest year experienced by South Africa since records began in 1904. There is now little doubt that this is the result of toxic combination of “climate change” and the El Nino phenomenon. Currently Western Cape dams are at 30% full while those at Ceres and Clanwilliam are below 15%. Some major towns in the Free State, including Kroonstad, effectively have no water. While current conditions are bad enough, especially in the Free State, if sufficient rain doesn’t fall in the Western Cape this winter, coupled with below average rainfall on the Highveld from next spring, South Africa will be in the grip of a full blown crisis. Some months ago we reported on Southern Cold Store’s project to harvest rainwater, and mentioned that Australian cold stores do this as a matter of course.                     Cold and freezer stores need significant quantities of water, both as a cooling medium in condensers and for cleaning. Water prices have increased and pricing is being used to limit demand. By next year water may well be turned off for days at a time to conserve what’s left.   For all these reasons water tanks would appear to make a lot of sense, both to store harvested water and to create a reserve for days when there is no supply. If Western Cape cold stores move quickly they could have tanks installed to catch the last of any winter rains…