Cape Town – The City of Cape Town has appealed to all residents, businesses, and government departments to to engage with them to conserve water.
The City continues to monitor the water usage of the top 20 000 high water consumers in formal residences as well as commercial, industrial, and government properties in all suburbs, according to mayor Patricia de Lille.
"No one is escaping our efforts to see to it that consumption is reduced voluntarily, or forcibly if required. We have such great water ambassadors in every suburb, but we have many rotten apples as well who are spoiling all of our efforts to conserve water," de Lille said.
Over the past week, the City has issued 36 fines for contraventions of Level 3B restrictions.
The fines range from R500 to R2 000 and were issued in the following areas:
· Blackberry Mall, Strandfontein
· Van der Heever Street, Kuils River
· Building site in Mitchells Plain
· Riebeek Street, Cape Town
· Building site in Duinefontein Road, Heideveld
· Rosmead Avenue, Kenilworth
· Turfhall Road, Lansdowne
· Barnard Street, Bellville
· Hippo Lane, Zeekovlei
· Vasco Boulevard, Vasco
· 16th Avenue, Elsies River
· Voortrekker Road, Parow
· Cambridge Street, Plattekloof
· Car dealership in Voortrekker Road, Bellville
· Island Park, Paarden Eiland
· Duminy Street, Parow
· Durban Road, Wynberg
· Building site in Retreat
· Victoria Road, Southfield
These fines were issued to residents and businesses for various contraventions, including using potable water to wash a vehicle, washing down hard surfaces with a hosepipe, irrigating without permission and outside designated times for garden watering, use of a sprinkler, and water wastage (ie leaking taps, pipes, overflowing hot water cylinders).
De Lille said that it is unacceptable that people are still not adhering to water restrictions.
"This abuse of water means that we will all suffer."
In terms of naming water abusers, the City will only publish the identities of residents or commercial properties once they have paid a fine or once they have appeared in court in connection with their transgression of Level 3B restrictions.