Level 4b water restrictions enacted in Cape Town

The Theewaterskloof Dam near Villiersdorp. The City of Cape Town is appealing to residents not to relax their water-saving efforts. Picture: Henk Kruger

The Theewaterskloof Dam near Villiersdorp. The City of Cape Town is appealing to residents not to relax their water-saving efforts. Picture: Henk Kruger

Published Jul 2, 2017

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Cape Town has implemented stricter water restrictions in a bid to reduce water usage.

Level 4b water restrictions allow individual users 87 litres a day. Capetonians are allowed to use 500 million litres a day.

It has been reduced from 600 million litres a day, an objective which was not attained.

The City of Cape Town said dam levels remained critical and needed to be filled during the wetter winter months for an expected dry summer.

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille declared the Western Cape a disaster area on May 22 due to the drought.

“As we are expecting a very dry summer 2018 and rainfall probability and volume remains incredibly uncertain, we must cut our water use even more to save as much water as we can while we still have water,” said Xanthea Limberg, mayoral committee member for informal settlements, water and sanitation.

Despite previous water restrictions, many domestic consumers were still using over 20000 litres a month per household, Limberg said.

“We have been monitoring and engaging with high users and we will be issuing letters to them to warn them that we will be installing water management devices at properties with unjustifiably high consumption to limit their water use to acceptable levels,” she said.

The monitoring would continue and further engagements with stakeholders in business, the informal car-wash sector and government departments would be held.

The City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government have regularly urged residents to save water as the situation remains critical, despite the recent rains.

The city is also battling water losses through pipe leaks or faulty water meters.

Weekend Argus

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