The City of Cape Town has again appealed to residents, residents, businesses and visitors to immediately reduce water consumption as usage has spiked over recent hot days, resulting in dam levels dropping 19% below what was available at the same time last year.
The Water and Sanitation Directorate says this step is necessary
to secure water in the months ahead should usage not reduce as quickly as
possible this summer.
‘’Lower annual rainfall resulted in reduced inflows to
dams, placing increased pressure on the City’s water supply system. While taps
are not at risk of running dry at this stage, continued high water use could
rapidly change the situation and result in restrictions unless consumption is
brought down urgently,’’ said the City in a statement.
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PICTURE: PixabayThe City’s dam storage levels currently stand at 69,1%
‘’This is a critical moment for us, where we must reduce
the unnecessary litres of water used in our homes, in industrial and
agricultural processes and at work. We can’t afford to be complacent any longer
and we must closely keep track of consumption indicators on a weekly basis,’’
said Zahid Badroodien, MMC for Water and Sanitation
‘’Early proactive measures are far more effective than
emergency restrictions. We need to be water-wise at all times,’’ he added.
According to the MMC, about 70% of all water used in the
city is used in homes, which is why saving water at home is so critical.
‘’Only water the garden at night to prevent evaporation and
avoid topping up swimming pools or pool inflatables unnecessarily,’’ he
advised.
Recent trends published in the City’s weekly water dashboard show excessive average daily water use by Capetonians as a collective, well above the target of less than 975 million litres per day (MLD):
·
10 December 2025 – 1 029 MLD
·
15 December 2025 – 1029 MLD
·
22 December 2025 – 1039 MLD
·
29 December 2025 – 1010 MLD
·
5 January 2026 – 1048 MLD
Key tips to keep water usage down:
·
Find and fix water leaks on your property. If
dripping taps, leaking toilets and faulty plumbing go undetected and ignored
for a long time, a lot of water is wasted.
·
Monitor your own usage and make the effort to
save water.
·
Report burst municipal pipes immediately to the
City through formal channels
·
Switch to treated effluent re-use for
industrial irrigation or construction purposes.
The City promotes and supplies treated effluent to large
water users such as industry, sports clubs, golf clubs, large new developments
and schools.
‘’All of us have a part to play in reducing our water usage
now. The City is busy with various actions, including consistently resolving
reported pipe bursts and water leaks within the shortest timeframe. Since the
drought, the City has and continues to invest in upgrading aged water pipes,
improving pressure management, fixing leaks faster and strengthening metering
along the water supply network.
‘’The City is also actively progressing with strategic
plans for Cape Town’s new water supply to build our water secure future. In the
long term, to reduce dependency on rain-fed dams, the City is scheduled to
proactively add new water sources, such as desalination and water reuse to our
supply from 2031,’’ said Badroodien.
Done By: Mitchum George
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