House & Garden
City of Cape Town Water Restrictions
Media Release by the City of Cape Town, 18 August 2011
City urges consumers to save water, with dam levels lower than usual
The lower than usual rainfall this winter, especially in the catchment areas of major dams, has left the levels of the City of Cape Town’s water supply dams lower than the same period during previous years. The current combined average level of the six major dams is 81.2% as opposed to 90.5% last year.
Over the past few years, the City has implemented a Water Demand Management Strategy to evaluate water supply resources and infrastructure in order to ensure optimal performance. The strategy covers issues such as metering, system water losses, the installation/implementation of advanced technologies, leak repairs at indigent households, pressure management in water supply lines, training, and the creation of awareness about water conservation.
“We can only save water while we have it, and there is no better time to start than now,” says the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, Councillor Shehaam Sims.
To date, the City’s Water and Sanitation Department has implemented various projects to educate communities, schools, businesses and industry about water conservation. It has also implemented a host of pressure management systems on its water supply lines to reduce pipe bursts – which disrupt the water supply necessitating costly replacement of infrastructure and, more importantly, result in water losses.
Pressure management systems are installed across the city in an effort to optimise the water supply network. The City has two of the largest pressure management systems in the world – in Khayelitsha and Mandalay (Mitchells Plain). The Department is currently in the process of installing systems in the South Peninsula area, Bonteheuwel and Ruyterwacht. In the coming months, this process will be expanded to Goodwood, Monte Vista, Thornton and Bishop Lavis where excessive pressures within the supply system are resulting in numerous supply disruptions (pipe bursts).
The Department has also upgraded its Technical Operations Centre in order to better deal with reports of incidents relating to burst pipes and vandalism of our infrastructure.
The City ensures optimal utilisation of the water resources within its operational domain and is compliant with the National Department of Water Affairs’ requirements. Once the City has conveyed this precious resource to consumers, it is vital that they continue the practice of optimising water use.
“Consumers have a right to access good quality drinking water as provided for in our National Constitution, but with this comes a responsibility to preserve the excellent quality water that the City provides,” says Councillor Sims.
The City is therefore calling on all its water consumers to reduce their water consumption and introduce water-saving measures in their households and businesses. Saving water should become second nature and all consumers should apply their minds to ways that their consumption can be reduced. Becoming aware of the volumes consumed can create awareness of the need to save water. Residents should thus make sure that they know where their water meter is located in order to monitor consumption at regular intervals.
At home, the three highest water-use areas are the garden, flushing of the toilet and bathing/showering. These areas therefore hold the greatest potential for saving water.
Here are some ways how you can save water:
•	Only water your garden before 10:00 or after 16:00 when there is less evaporation
•	Check and repair all visible and detected leaks regularly
•	Do not hose down hard or paved surfaces
•	Install an automatic self-closing device for your hosepipe
•	Install water-saving devices where possible
•	Use a bucket when washing a vehicle
•	Keep taps closed when not in use
•	During wet weather, turn off automated sprinklers to avoid unnecessary watering of gardens when the rain has already done the work.
In business and industry it is important that water use is monitored and that the appliances used and design of the plumbing installation is aimed at saving water. Business processes should be fine-tuned when it comes to water consumption – it obviously also makes good business sense to use as little water as possible from an expense point of view.
More information on how to save water is available on the City’s website at www.capetown.gov.za/water under the Demand Management tab. Material such as posters and quick reference cards are also available from all City libraries.
Residents are urged to look out for tips on how to be part of the solution for Cape Town – play your part by making water conservation a way of life.
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