Cape Town residents can breathe a sigh of relief, because from tomorrow water restrictions and the associated tariffs will be lowered from Level 5 to Level 3.
This means daily usage will increase from 70 litres per person per day to 105 litres per person per day, or from 500million litres to 650million litres of collective usage per day. Tariffs will be lowered to Level 3 and residents that use less than 6000 litres per month can expect to pay 35.5% less.
Mayor Dan Plato said this decision had come after a meeting between the Department of Water and Sanitation and the water users of the Western Cape Water Supply System, namely the agricultural sector, Western Cape government, municipalities and the Cape Town metro.
Based on the national government's assessment, a saving of between 10% and 20% for urban water users had been proposed, Plato said.
However, the City had decided to implement a more cautious 30% saving to help with the recovery of the dams and cater to the uncertainty of next year.
He said the 40% restriction on water usage applicable to businesses had been removed, but the sector was encouraged to continue implementing efficient use of water.
Mayco member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services, and Energy Xanthea Limberg said: “This is not only a period of recovery for our dams, but also for our economy as a whole, as well as for our residents and businesses who truly made huge sacrifices to help us get Cape Town through the drought.
“Due to the extreme hardship suffered as a result of the drought, the agricultural sector will only reduce water usage by 10%, as it too enters a period of recovery. The City fully supports this move as the agricultural sector also supported the City as an urban water user.”
Sandra Dickson, of the Stop CoCT action group, which led the charge in defeating the City's initial proposed drought charge, welcomed the move.
“People are not complaining about the restrictions, but about the tariffs.”
She said that at the current rates, dam levels would probably fall to 70% in one week and to 50% within 20 weeks.
“This is the City's own data. Agricultural use stops around the end of March. By then we will be under 50%.
"But it all depends on what will happen now with the lowering of restrictions. Our rainfall has still been below the long-term average rainfall.
"It is a sigh of relief for people who have been burdened with bills.”
Information on Level 3 water and sanitation tariffs can be found at: http://bit.do/L3-tariffs