Dam levels show marginal increase
THE mid-winter dam storage levels are still dangerously low at 25.4% and have only increased by 6% in the past month.
The dams levels feeding the city were by late yesterday recorded at: Berg River 37.2%, Steenbras Lower at 29.3%, Steenbras Upper 65.7%, Theewaterskloof 19.9%, Voelvlei at 19.9% and Wemmershoek 36%.
The Steenbras Lower, Steenbras Upper, Voelvlei and Wemmershoek dams actually dropped between one and four percentage points in comparison with their levels last week.
With Level 4b restrictions being enforced, the collective water usage was 619 million litres a day, 119 million litres above the new ideal collective water usage level of 500 million litres a day. Water users must use less than 87 litres of water a day.
Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services and Energy Mayco member Xanthea Limberg said: “Our plans of potentially partnering with the private sector to create a short-term emergency water supply using desalination, stormwater capture or aquifer extraction are also progressing.”
Yesterday was the closing date for the City’s Request for Information process that it started to find partnerships that could assist with short-term emergency supply schemes, said Limberg.
The city would analyse submissions from today, she said. “We encourage friends, neighbours, families and colleagues to join efforts and to see how they can brainstorm new ways of saving water,” said Limberg.
Contact the City via e-mail towater@capetown.gov.za for queries or to report contraventions of the water restrictions (provide evidence to assist the City’s enforcement efforts), or send an SMS to 31373.