Impose water curbs or we'll do it for you‚ MEC tells Cape municipalities

15 August 2017 - 11:22 By Aphiwe Deklerk
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
File photo.
File photo.
Image: Gallo Images/iStock

The Western Cape government will finally enforce water restrictions in all municipalities amid a persistent drought.

Local government MEC Anton Bredell said on Tuesday his government would issue a directive to all municipalities in terms of the Disaster Management Act.

Last month Colin Deiner‚ head of disaster management in the province‚ told TimesLIVE a plan to enforce restrictions was in the works.

He told the Western Cape legislature some municipalities were not enforcing any restrictions despite the drought‚ which has been declared a provincial disaster.

In a statement‚ Bredell said municipalities had been asked to assess their water situation and recommend a level of restrictions they intend to apply.

“If the department does not agree‚ then the department will direct that municipality to implement the level at which water restrictions must be implemented. This is no longer negotiable‚” said Bredell.

Municipalities will be required to emulate the City of Cape Town by providing targets of potable water consumption in megalitres per day.

Provincial dams are only 29.5% full‚ compared to 56.7% a year ago‚ and Bredell said the latest step was to ensure that all councils were playing their part to address the crisis.

“The drought continues to be unrelenting despite some good rainfall in some regions across the province. We have been combating this crisis in varying degrees across the province for more than two years‚” he said.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now