GOOD Statement by Keegan Gertse,
GOOD Drakenstein Municipality Councillor and Mayoral Candidate
14 October 2026
On 17 September 2026, Drakenstein Municipality hinted at the idea that it will implement water restrictions to ensure consistent consumption and equal access to water during the summer season. The South African Weather Service anticipates that the 2026/2027 summer season will be one of the hottest high-temperature periods on record and published research projections predict that approximately 1,200 people could die due to the abnormal heat. Globally, experts have warned that a super El Niño will be present during this season and will affect global communities, including the global South.
Our call for water restrictions is not premature in any way. GOOD is in the streets everyday campaigning towards the Local Government Elections 2026 taking place on 4 November 2026. We have experienced first-hand how water is being wasted in some communities already, especially with children trying to cool off during the school holidays.
GOOD believes in prevention rather than reaction, in proactive planning rather than crisis management, and in protecting communities before problems escalate into emergencies.
Currently, our dam levels stand at 73% against the 82.4% that was recorded on 1 December 2025. That is already a sharp drop of 9.4% over approximately the same period. With the days getting hotter towards 1 December 2026 and factoring in other natural processes such as evaporation, seepage and infiltration, strong winds and sedimentation.
GOOD has already been fighting for the Berg River water channel, by pushing for the Municipality to take ownership of cleaning the river. A fight we won, as Drakenstein is now actively looking for available budget for the 2026/2027 financial year to start cleaning the Berg River to ensure that it does not break its banks during routine opening of the Wemmershoek sluice gates or during periods of high rainfall. However, now we need to ensure that cleaning of the river prevents water losses that could benefit communities further along its riverbanks.
Water is a resource we can ill afford to let go to waste, especially if one should consider the below-average rainfall that Drakenstein received during the rainy season.
Currently, in Drakenstein, the average household already consumes about 487L of water per day. That is well above the municipal target of 463L of water per day per household.
This isn’t a cause for alarm yet, but considering that the holidays are on hand, more people will be home consuming water, and factoring in the recreational use of potable water during holiday seasons, GOOD believes now is the best time to implement water restrictions as opposed to idling, standing by till the crisis is at the municipality’s doorstep and then urgent action needs to be taken.
Another area of concern is the localized rainwater catchment areas, i.e., stormwater drains, that GOOD has extensively addressed on Portfolio-level and in Council. Our drain system needs a complete overhaul, as stormwater drains in certain communities are so dysfunctional and inoperable that rainwater cannot be collected and allocated to larger municipal catchment areas. Instead, water collects in roads, damages homes and infrastructure, and further damages road surfaces, leading to potholes and uncomfortable driving conditions.
GOOD again reiterates that we do not want to cause unnecessary panic and alarm; however, current data on hand points towards being proactive by implementing water restrictions as opposed to reactive and only acting when the crisis is at hand.
Media Enquiries:media@forgood.org.za