Cape Town - It was the worst drought in over a 110 years, Western Cape premier Helen Zille said about the devastating dry spell that has gripped the province and other parts of the country.
Zille was speaking at a specially convened water summit in Worcester on Tuesday which was attended by national Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane as well as environmental affairs MEC Anton Bredell.
Dams in Cape Town had dropped to an effective 11%, prompting the immediate proposal of the implementation of Level 4 water restrictions, which entail a ban on all outside and non-essential use of potable water.
"This water crisis – similar to the energy crisis we faced in 2008 – is an opportunity for South Africa to emerge as the fastest growing water economy in the world," Zille said.
"Our innovation however, must be coupled with properly maintaining our current bulk infrastructure, repairing it where necessary and investing in new infrastructure for greater capacity."
A number of interventions were highlighted, including tapping into the Table Mountain Group Aquifer, desalination and water re-use.
Other initiatives, which would be undertaken with the national government, included the extension of the walls of at least two dams in the province.
“There is no doubt, that we are in a race against time, but with the right policies and implementation, we will emerge with the necessary solutions and prevent a possible disaster going forward," Zille said.
Mokonyane pledged her department's cooperation, saying dealing with the water crisis was the collective responsibility of all three spheres of government.