Areas and Places

Cape Town households achieve dark green water-saving dot in May reading

Water usage

Cape Town’s monthly update of the water map for May 2018 shows that 217 271 households achieved the dark green water-saving dot for their water conservation efforts. Each household managed to maintain less than 6 000 litres per month.

A light green dot status was achieved by 182 404 households for usage under 10 500 litres per month and together, with the dark green participants, a record umber of 399 675 households had green dots for the month of May 2018.

We continue to be proud of the achievements of our residents and of this metro. We thank our residents who are still painting the city green irrespective of the improved dam levels and rainfall that we have received. Importantly, we must try not to let our good water-saving effort go down the drain” commented the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg.

Consumption is indicated on the map as follows:

  • Dark green dot: household using less than 6 000 litres per month
  • Light green dot: household using between 6 000 and 10 500 litres per month
  • Grey dot with small dark green centre: estimated water meter reading of less than 6 000 litres per month
  • Grey dot with small light green centre: estimated water meter reading of less than 10 500 litres per month.
  • Solid grey dot: excluded property (including sectional title property or group housing / undeveloped property / water use is zero / no available information for the property / estimated water meter reading of more than 10 500 litres per month).

The map simply indicates water consumption for free-standing houses, not compliance with water restriction limits. Households with higher consumption may have many people living on the property and may have applied for a water quota increase, or may have an undetected water leak.

The map shows consumption information from meters read in the previous month, and may include a portion of consumption from the preceding month. This information is updated from the third week of the following month.

Households using more than 10 500 litres per month are not shown on the map. The point of this map is to encourage positive behaviour and not to single out bad behaviour. However, remember that consumption higher than 10 500 litres per month (no green dot) does not necessarily indicate water abuse.