Cape Town starts 50- litre water limit

Cape Town, Jan. 31: Tensions are mounting at a natural spring in Cape Town that is popular with residents forced to contend with water restrictions due to severe drought, the city council said Wednesday.

A fight broke out and one person was arrested by police earlier in the week in long queues at the Newland spring, and local residents have complained of traffic gridlock.

Capetonians will be expected to abide by a 50 litre- a- day personal consumption limit from Thursday an effort to in avert the so- called “Day Zero” scenario which would see taps shut off.

“Day Zero” is currently forecast for April 16. Householders and traders would be forced to queue at 200 water collection points to collect a daily allocation of 25 litres per person — less than a two- minute shower.

The Newland spring has attracted hundreds of residents keen to supplement their current 87- litre quota.

“A physical conflict broke out and a person was arrested by the South African Police Service,” said city security chief, councillor Jean- Pierre Smith. “Congestion and noise from cars and persons visiting the site at all hours of the day and night is causing many complaints.”

Residents will be able to collect 25 litres per visit to the spring and officials will be posted to the site 24- hours a day to keep order.

Current dam levels fell last week to 26.3 per cent, with the last 10 per cent difficult to use, according to the Cape Town government. But only about 55 per cent of residents stuck to last week's limit of 87 litres a day.

A typical shower uses 15 litres per minute while a standard toilet consumes 15 litres per flush, according to WaterWise, a South African water awareness campaign.

Private security guards monitor people with plastic containers at another natural spring location at a South African Breweries facility in Newland.

The possibility that most city taps might have to be shut off has raised concerns about security, and police and the military are expected to help secure water collection sites if “Day Zero” occurs.

A parliamentary committee said it will ask the government to “rein in unscrupulous traders” who have raised the price of bottled water to take advantage of the crisis. Poor people will suffer the most from price gouging, the trade and industry committee said.

Water shortages also have hit Cape Town's hospitality industry, whose leaders are urging hotels to consider switching to salt water instead of fresh water in swimming pools and want restaurants to skip linen napkins that would have to be laundered and rethink menus.