Dam storage levels are currently at 37,5%, with useable water at 27,5%. Collective consumption is at 624 million litres of water per day. This is 124 million litres above the target of 500 million litres.
The City of Cape Town has now installed 71 water management devices at private properties where excessive users of water have failed to adhere to water restrictions or to justify their high usage.
“This forms part of our ongoing efforts to forcibly reduce the water usage of excessive users who are placing their own interests above those of Team Cape Town. It is clear that almost one in two users are adhering to the restriction of 87 litres per person per day, but a large percentage of the rest of the water users are seemingly not bothered by the restrictions or the higher water tariffs”.
“Our recently implemented Level 5 restrictions also look at ways to force usage down among water users who are not changing their behaviour. This is especially important as we head towards what we are all expecting to be an incredibly difficult summer season for 2017/18,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg.
Drought efforts continue to be centred around two key thrusts: being to reduce water usage to 500 million litres per day of collective consumption through various interventions, while at the same time bringing on board an additional emergency supply of 500 million litres per day to see the city through as much of summer 2017/18 as possible.
The City reminds residents to reduce water flow on their property through adjusting their private stopcocks or water control taps.
How to adjust a stopcock to reduce water flow (this should ideally be done during the day):
- Close the stopcock by turning it in a clockwise direction, and open it again (about a half turn).
- Go to the tap furthest away from the stopcock (this could be inside the house, in the back garden/yard or in an upstairs bathroom).
- Open the cold water tap and see if there is sufficient water flowing.
- If required, adjust the stopcock a half turn at a time until a reasonable but reduced flow rate of water to the furthest cold water tap is achieved.
A video illustrating how to adjust a stopcock can be viewed here.
