The city of Cape Town collective water consumption has dropped to below the target for the first time since water restrictions were implemented.
Dam levels have declined to 24,1% (storage levels), which is 1% down from a week ago. With the last 10% of a dam’s water mostly not being useable, dam levels are effectively at 14,1%. Consumption over the past week is 685 million litres per day, which is 15 million litres under the collective usage target of 700 million litres per day.
It is incredibly encouraging to see that collective water consumption has dropped to below the target for the first time since water restrictions were implemented, but the good news comes with the warning to keep on saving water.
“Although we thank those consumers who continue to save water, we run the very real risk of consumers making a decision to use more water, especially with the bit of rain that we’ve had recently.”
“We cannot emphasise strongly enough how critical it is that we do not relax our water-saving efforts over the next year at least. One winter of average rainfall will not get us out of this predicament. In addition, hot weather is expected again this week and this will have an impact on water use.”
“We really cannot afford for consumption to increase at this stage. To give our residents an idea of the seriousness of the situation, we will be lowering the consumption target to 600 million litres soon,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg.
Cape Town is situated in a water-scarce region and climate change will exacerbate the situation going forward.
The City continues to accelerate its emergency water schemes in accordance with the disaster declaration and carries on with extensive pressure reduction programmes to reduce the flow of water at a time and water losses through leakage in the pipework of the distribution system.
Residents can contact the City via email to waterTOC@capetown.gov.za for queries or to report contraventions of the water restrictions (evidence should be provided to assist the City’s enforcement efforts) or they can send an SMS to 31373.
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