Water gets top billing

DROUGHT WARNING: CAPE TOWN’S FREEWAY SIGNBOARDS GO LIVE

Mayor De Lille visits high-level water users – and transgressors are to be named, shamed.

The City of Cape Town’s water crisis warning on electronic freeway signboards has gone live, indicating how much water the metro has left at present consumption rates.

This is an effort to strengthen the warning that saving water is the best contingency measure before and during a time of drought, mayoral committee member for informal settlements, water and waste services, and energy Xanthea Limberg said yesterday.

In addition, as of today, the identity of all customers who paid admission-of-guilt fines or who appeared in court regarding contravention of level 3B water restrictions would be made public by the city, Limberg said.

As from this week, the city had adjusted its water consumption target downwards from 800 million litres to 700 million litres for collective water usage per day.

“It means that if we all use approximately 40% less water every day, compared with what we usually use during unrestricted times, about 1.2 billion litres per day, we will have 135 days left of water. If we save more, we’ll have water for more days. Seasonal changes would also increase the number of days, such as good rainfall and lower evaporation rates of the dams as it becomes cooler,” said Limberg.

“The current situation is that we have not met the previous target of 800 million litres per day. This is reducing the actual number of days of water we have left. The closer we stay to and below the new target of 700 million litres per day, the more days of water we will have left.

“This message on the signboards is the latest in our myriad attempts to literally drive the message home that we need to reduce consumption now. It is the best contingency measure that we have.

We have not met the previous target of 800 million litres per day.

“Our signs, indicating how much water we could have left at our current consumption rates, are a stern call to action. Although we thank all of our great water ambassadors out there, we need all residents, businesses, and government spheres to heed this call. There now really is no escaping the message.”

Dam levels as at February 13 were 36.2%. With the last 10% of a dam’s water not being usable, dam levels were effectively at about 26.2%.

“Cape Town is in a water-scarce region and at all times, but especially during this water crisis, we need to use water sparingly.”

While the city’s regular enforcement blitzes continued, mayor Patricia de Lille visited some high-level water consumers. If their consumption was not lowered immediately, measures would be taken to force consumption downwards.

From next week, the city’s mayoral committee members will visit the properties of high consumers personally.