A DA Councillor to Johannesburg has warned listeners on 702 radio that the current demand for water in Gauteng already outstrips supply by 15%. This has led to new legislation which will restrict water pressure into homes to ensure a reduction of wasted water. As much as this is an excellent initiative, it will have an impact on homes with appliances and irrigation systems with higher pressure demand. It also highlights a bigger impending problem the region faces where demand steadily increases without increases in supply. It seems obvious that this is the first step in attempting to control a problem which will soon after be followed by tariff increases and water restrictions.

Rand Water has spend the last few years educating the public about how to avert the crisis through their "Water Wise" campaign. Recent Rand Water brochures have warned that the inevitable crisis will become a reality in 2013 and collecting rainwater will be essential to subsidize the supply of potable water with rain water. It would appear, however, that with the ingress of Acid Mine Drainage into our ground water and river systems, coupled with failing infrastructure, the crisis may be closer than expected. It may now be necessary for homes and businesses to turn to rain harvesting and water backup systems to ensure an uninterrupted supply of this critical resource.