City issues dire water usage warning
CAPE Town residents have used 59 million litres of water more than the city’s daily target.
Residents used an average of 859 million litres per day for the week of January 2-8 as data for last week showed that demand on potable water supply was on the rise.
Dam levels were at 44.3 percent and the city said: “Unless a drastic improvement is observed, more serious restrictions, including a blanket ban on watering gardens or filling pools, will need to be applied. Residents’ usage patterns over the coming weeks will inform if and when this is necessary.”
The city added that in order to reach the target, residents needed to keep their water consumption at the same level as during winter months.
“It is every resident’s responsibility to ensure that they are aware of this and to oversee their household water consumption to ensure that the target is met, without exception.”
“Residents share in the responsibility of ensuring that everyone is aware of and adheres to the water restrictions. With a population in the region of four million people and significant water wastage occurring behind closed doors, the city cannot effectively enforce these restrictions unless residents act as our eyes and ears on the ground.”
City spokeswoman Priya Reddy confirmed that water restrictions in the city were still in place and said some residents were not pulling their weight in terms of using water sparingly. “Despite a promising few weeks over the Christmas period, demand on our potable water supply is once again on the rise,” she said.
Residents can report contraventions at water.restrictions@capetown.gov.za