Cape Town – Expect a call from the mayor herself if you’re a water guzzler in Cape Town.
Mayor Patricia de Lille’s office said she has started a regime of personally calling businesses, hotels and government departments to check up on their water use.
Updated statistics indicate dams have continued slowly drying up and are this week at an estimated 37.5% full.
The city council last week approved to raise water restrictions to level 3b after dam levels collectively dipped below 40%.
Xanthea Limberg, the mayoral committee member for water services, said the stricter measures were put in place to further limit the use of potable water for non-essential purposes amid the water crisis.
The level 3b fine schedule allows for increased spot fines of up to R5 000 should customers be found in contravention of the water restrictions.
On analysis of water accounts, some high-use consumers’ January consumption was between 50 000 litres and 300 000 litres a month.
“This is excessive. The city has warned these users to reduce consumption immediately to below the region of 20 000 litres a month. In addition to the top 20 000 residential consumers, the city is also stepping up enforcement within the commercial sector and government departments."
“Regular enforcement operations remain in place in addition to the targeted engagements with the top 20 000 highest water users. Along with all these efforts, we need members of the public to help us to bring culprits to book,” Limberg said.
De Lille added: “Where water use is inexplicably high, I am advising them (businesses) to reduce their consumption immediately.”
The mayor said she had already personally contacted heads of several major commercial consumers this week. “Many were shocked to learn how high their consumption is and immediately undertook to investigate.”