Water guzzlers could fill 5 Olympic pools in one month

A property in Claremont had, for the month ending March, used more than 33 times the amount of water a normal household would use. Picture: AP

A property in Claremont had, for the month ending March, used more than 33 times the amount of water a normal household would use. Picture: AP

Published May 10, 2017

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Cape Town – Water used by Cape Town’s top 30 water guzzlers in one month could fill almost five Olympic size swimming pools measuring 50m long, 25m wide, and a minimum of 2m deep.

A property in Claremont had, for the month ending March, used more than 33 times the amount of water a normal household would use during the same period, the City of Cape Town’s latest name-and-shame list has revealed. 

The property is at number one, having used 678 kilolitres of water.

According to the municipality’s website, most households used up to 20 kilolitres a month.

The list features properties from across the metro, with the suburbs of Green Point and Rondebosch appearing twice in the top 30.

The top five consisted of premises in Claremont, Oosterzee in Bellville, Penhill, Bantry Bay and Malibu Village, respectively.

“It is imperative that we all work together to fix leaks and to prevent unnecessary water losses,” said Mayco member for water services Xanthea Limberg.

“The city is providing assistance and counsel where we can. Those who are rectifying leaks on private properties are directly contributing to our mass water-saving efforts.”

Limberg said a three-month average was taken to ensure the readings were not a once-off occurrence, adding the list did not contain indigent customers.

Included in the top 10 of the highest water users were properties in Strandfontein, Hout Bay, Green Point, Ekuphumuleni and Mandela Park, respectively, which together used more than 2 460 kilolitres of water.

The city council was expected to later this month decide whether or not to raise water restrictions from Level 3b to Level 4.

Limberg said: “Approximately two-thirds of the top 30 properties on the March list were found to have leaks on the properties which are the reason for the high consumption. City water inspectors have been engaging with the high users and most of these leaks have been repaired by the owners."

“Our engagements with the business sector also continue as we all acknowledge that changing our relationship with water must be a societal shift in attitude, not only during this time of severe drought, but as we go forward into a future with erratic and unpredictable climatic conditions,” Limberg said.

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Cape Argus

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