Cape Town prepares for Day Zero
LEVEL 6b water restrictions announced by the City commenced yesterday and citizens have been urged to use water sparingly as never before and ensure we stave off Day Zero.
The possibility of water collection points has many people looking at alternative emergency sources such as rainwater tanks, pools and boreholes.
Measures already in place include the re-use of greywater for gardens and cutting down on time spent in showers.
Ratepayers are looking more closely at their statements and pushing for leaks and taps to be repaired as higher tariffs to curb use are being implemented by the City.
Those coming up with innovative ways of saving water are willingly sharing their ideas with other residents.
The Gatesville Mosque, for example, is holding a short presentation on how Muslims can take the compulsory ablution before prayers with a spray bottle using only a quarter cup of water.
World Wildlife Fund SA (WWFSA ) has provided guidelines on how to secure safe drinking water, cautioning citizens against untreated water that could contain harmful microbes that can cause diseases as well as diarrhoea and vomiting.
The simplest and safest way to ensure the safety of drinking water is to boil it.
Bottled water is one of the safest sources to turn to and if you want to ensure the bottled water has been tested, then look for the Sanbwa label, which means water has been tested and meets health standards.
Spring water from iconic sites such as Newlands and Muizenberg was now more regularly used, but WWFSA noted that this water was not part of the Cape Town water system and not regularly tested by authorities.
Yesterday, the extended comment window for the Water Amendment By-law was closed, with approximately 38 000 comments received from the public.
Submissions would now be reviewed for inputs to be considered for adjustments to the proposed by-law amendments. This process was expected to last approximately two months and the public would be kept informed of developments.
The City has introduced additional curbs for events hosted in the city. Organisers will have to say what their plans are to make use of alternative water sources or minimise their use of potable water.