Cape Town residents face bigger water bills‚ tougher restrictions

18 October 2016 - 16:44 By TMG Digital
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Image: Gallo Images/ Thinkstock

Cape Town is a step closer to implementing stringent level three water restrictions and hiking the price of water for residential consumers as dams sit at precariously low levels.

The city’s mayoral committee approved a recommendation to council – for a final decision - on Tuesday to impose level three restrictions from November 1 and price increases from December 1.

“Cape Town residents as a whole did not achieve the consistent 10% reduction in water use that was mandated from 1 January 2016. If we continue to use water as we did on Level 2 restrictions over the coming summer months‚ the dams are at risk of falling to 15% by the end of the summer period‚” said the city’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services‚ Alderman Ernest Sonnenberg.

“Following on‚ if we experience poor rainfall next rainy season‚ we could find our dams at approximately 50% this time next year‚” he said.

What do the new restrictions mean? Here is a summary:

- Watering/irrigation (with drinking water from municipal supply) of gardens‚ lawns‚ flower beds and other plants‚ vegetable gardens‚ sports fields‚ parks and other open spaces is allowed only if using a bucket or watering container.

- No use of hosepipes or automatic sprinkler systems is allowed

- Cars and boats may only be washed with water from buckets

- Manual topping up of swimming pools is allowed only if pools are fitted with a pool cover. No automatic top-up systems are allowed

- No portable play pools are permitted to be used.

The proposed water tariff increases are designed so that the price per kilolitre of water goes up once a resident’s use for the month exceeds certain levels. For example:

• The first 6 kl (Step 1) is free

• After usage exceeds 6 kl‚ but before usage reaches 10‚5 kl for the month (Step 2)‚ each kilolitre will cost R16‚54/kl

• After usage exceeds 10‚5 kl‚ but before usage reaches 20 kl for the month (Step 3)‚ each kilolitre will cost R23‚54/kl

• After usage exceeds 20 kl‚ but before usage exceeds 35 kl for the month (Step 4)‚ each kilolitre will cost R40‚96/kl‚ and so forth

- TMG Digital

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