#EveryDropCounts: Hot weather contributes to slight dam level decline

The levels of the dams which supply Cape Town have declined slightly by 0,7% over the last week to 73,4 % of storage capacity. Picture: Bongani Shilubane/ANA

The levels of the dams which supply Cape Town have declined slightly by 0,7% over the last week to 73,4 % of storage capacity. Picture: Bongani Shilubane/ANA

Published Nov 12, 2018

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Cape Town - The levels of the dams which supply Cape Town have declined slightly by 0,7% over the last week to 73,4 % of storage capacity.

The average water consumption decreased by 10 million litres per day to 549 million litres per day for the past week.

It is important that consumption remains in this range while we wait for the water assessment from the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). By December, the DWS is expected to communicate its decision about what the water usage limit for Cape Town will be for the year ahead.

The City encourages water users to continue to be water-wise and to build on the good conservation practices they adopted to beat the drought.

Level 5 restriction don’ts

- No watering/irrigation with municipal water is allowed. Nurseries or customers involved in agricultural activities, or those with gardens of historical significance, may apply for an exemption

- No topping up (manual or automatic) of swimming pools with municipal drinking water is allowed

- No washing of vehicles, including cars, taxis, trailers, caravans or boats allowed with municipal drinking water

- No washing or hosing down of hard surfaces with municipal water

- The use of municipal drinking water for ornamental fountains or water features is prohibited

- All private swimming pools must be fitted with a cover

- The use of any portable or temporary play pools is prohibited

- Should borehole/well-point water be used for outdoor purposes, including garden use, topping up of swimming pools and hosing down of surfaces, it should only be done for a maximum of one hour on Tuesdays and Saturdays before 09:00 and after 18:00. However, the City discourages the use of this water for these purposes to prevent the over-abstraction of aquifers

- The operation of spray parks is prohibited

- No new landscaping or sports fields may be established except if irrigated only with non-drinking water

Please visit www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater for all water-related information, such as the Level 5 guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions.

@TheCapeArgus

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Cape Argus

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City of Cape Town