The hot season is upon us and water levels continue to drop in our catchment systems and dams. Evaporation as a result of the hot temperatures also plays a role in depleting our water resources.

As South Africa is a water scarce country, the lack of rain is making the situation worse as the little available water is being used without replacement.

The lack of sufficient rainfall and the dropping water levels call upon all citizens of this country to work together in ensuring that the available water is used in a wise and efficient manner to ensure water security for the current and future generations.

Water is life and water security is crucial for sustainable livelihood. Water conservation and water use efficiency is everybody's business, so we must all take responsibility for ensuring access for all.

Water security depends on our behaviour and actions in relation to water utilisation. If we take responsibility in our communities, we will build a responsible society that appreciates the value of water and the fact that we live in a water scarce country.

Leakages waste a lot of our precious water, but most often we turn a blind eye and ignore them. We need to change and report and fix the leakages and save a lot of water and money as the wasted water is usually purified and clean water.

If we fix leaks in our households and report leakages in the municipal system and have them fixed, we will definitely save a lot of water and play a major role in water security for the future.

Water is a finite resource with no substitute, so let us play our role in ensuring that we do not run out of this precious resource which is a source of life,

Let us educate each other on the importance of water conservation and encourage each other to save this scarce resource in our water stressed country.

As a water-scarce country with below average rainfall, it is crucial that we make proper use of the rainfall water that we receive. Rainwater harvesting is key to ensure that the water from the rain is not lost but stored for use in our households to relieve the strain on the municipal system.

Through our actions and behaviour, we can conserve a lot of the water that is currently lost. Let us take responsibility now before it is too late. Water is life and has no substitute.

We also need to change our irresponsible and bad behaviour of using water resources as dumping sites as this negatively affects the available water fit for human consumption and the environment.

Dumping waste in our water resources affects the quality of water which is very bad and costly. Let us protect our water resources and ensure water security for our country and the region.

Water conservation and efficient use of the available water must be our motto to ensure water security and access for all.