Johannesburg - Among the dire threats of water rationing by Johannesburg Water, there is a glimmer of hope for swimming pool owners.
In a set of revised water restrictions announced on Thursday, pool owners will be allowed to top up their pools to the weir level to prevent pumps and motors from being damaged.
Anthony Still, Joburg’s MMC for environment and infrastructure services, is appealing to pool owners to invest in a pool cover to curb evaporation.
Still said he was concerned that the insufficient decrease in water consumption in the city so far indicated a lack of appreciation for the precarious position in the city regarding the shortage of water.
Describing the situation as worrying,he said Jo-burgers were regressing in their water consumption. Initially, residents showed a 4.6 percent reduction, but regressed to 3.5 percent and then 0.9 percent since the level 2 restrictions were imposed.
And if this got worse, level 3 restrictions would be imposed, which meant water rationing, he warned.
“This is undesirable as it would cause wide-scale water service disruptions and extensive damage to the water infrastructure, which, in turn, will result in significant water losses.
“A possibility is to invoke a penalty tariff on a per household consumption where consumption does not decrease, as opposed to the current surcharge tariff on consumption above 20 000 litres/household/month,” Still explained.
“But this would involve monitoring individual households’ consumption on a month-to-month basis and comparing the figure to the same period last year and then punitively bill them.”
So far, 182 fines of R1 000 have been issued.
But, said Still, fines were not the answer.
“These fines are like traffic fines - people generally ignore them. The answer is for residents to realise this is serious and to come on board in a spirit of community awareness, he said.
You can report anyone not adhering to the water restrictions to 011 758 9650, all hours.
The Star