Thousands of excessive water users face new Cape Town clampdown

Even after months of steadily escalating water restrictions‚ the City of Cape Town has found a new way of cracking down on profligate consumers.

Water management devices‚ limiting consumption to 350 litres a day‚ are to be installed on the properties of all excessive users‚ irrespective of the reason for the high consumption.

Xanthea Limberg‚ the mayoral committee member responsible for utilities‚ said the step was being taken in response to city residents’ consistent failure to limit consumption to 500 million litres a day. “It also signals the severity of the situation‚” she said.

Pending the introduction of desalination plants‚ water recycling and groundwater extraction‚ “the single most important action that still needs to be prioritised is reducing consumption”.

Said Limberg: “There are currently more than 50 000 identified excessive usage properties across the metro. High users are regarded as those generally using more than 20 000 litres per month.

“The city will aim to install approximately 2 000 water management devices per week over the short-term. [We] will start at the highest users and move downwards according to consumption records for those properties.”

She said households with significantly more than four people would still be able to make representations about water use regarded as excessive‚ but they would have to submit affidavits. And management devices would limit their consumption to the 87 litre-a-day individual target

“The city is also finalising its comprehensive operational contingency plan in the event that dam levels decline to below 15%‚” said Limberg. “Details will be communicated early in October.

“I want to assure all residents that we will move mountains to ensure that we survive the drought and thrive. We have the expertise‚ vision‚ commitment and top-notch operational and management practices that have been established over the years and that make this metro a leader in South Africa.”