The South African government has warned of declining water levels before the country’s cold season.

Despite recent rains across the country, some areas have not recovered from the effects of the ‘Day Zero’ drought that has been ongoing since 2015.

Day Zero refers to a period of severe water shortage in the Western Cape region, which primarily had a big effect on the City of Cape Town. While dam water levels had been declining since 2015, the Cape Town water crisis peaked from the second half of 2017 to mid-2018 when water levels hovered between 15 and 30 percent of total dam capacity.

Climate scientists predict that increased climate variability will expose the country to more frequent and prolonged droughts. Population growth, rural-urban migration, and industrial and water populations all place additional stress on scarce water resources.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has reiterated its call to residents to proceed with using water sparingly. Communities are also encouraged to report water leaks and water infrastructure vandalism to local municipalities.