Water projects to resume on Monday
WORK on the City’s major water augmentation schemes will recommence on Monday after a brief suspension over the festive season.
According to the City’s water dashboard, dam levels stand at 31% with drinkable water at 21%.
Day Zero – the day the City will turn off most taps – has been moved closer by two weeks, to April 29, as water use continues to surge as the summer months set in.
Day Zero will come when dam levels reach 13.5%.
At this stage residents will have to collect water daily from around 200 collection sites across the city.
Despite the City’s seven major water augmentation projects running behind schedule, it suspended projects until the new year.
City Director of Water and Sanitation Services, Peter Flower, said while much behind-the-scenes and preparation work on the projects had continued through the holiday break, work on site would recommence in earnest from Monday.
“Although the projects reflect as behind schedule, we do not believe that there will be material delays and we are still optimistic that they will start delivering water into the system by February/March, and will be running at full capacity
Dam levels currently stand at 31% with drinkable water at 21%
by July.
“It is important to note that the projects were not suspended. Rather, a shortened builders’ holiday was factored into the planning and tender process and therefore is not affecting the planned completion dates,” he said.
The City said its safety and security directorate staff would maintain high levels of visibility at beaches and other public areas for the next few weeks.
The South African Weather Service has predicted very hot weather conditions that are likely to drive a large number of visitors to the coastline.
Many of the City’s popular beaches were decidedly quieter than normal on New Year’s Day, with an estimated 30 000 people at Muizenberg, 12 000 at Strandfontein Pavilion, 8 000 at Strand and just 3 000 at Monwabisi.