Government restricts groundwater use in parts of the Cape

Government has imposed restrictions on the extraction of groundwater in parts of the drought-stricken Western Cape.

Business Day reported on Wednesday that Department of Water and Sanitation acting director-general Lindiwe Lusenga had published the restrictions in the government gazette.

“Taking water from groundwater resources for domestic and industrial water use is curtailed by 45% in the Berg-Olifants and Breede-Gouritz water management areas,” wrote Lusenga.

"Taking water from groundwater resources for agricultural water use is curtailed by 60% in the Berg-Olifants and Breede-Gouritz water management areas."

With dire warnings about a looming “day zero” when most taps run dry in the city of Cape Town, now estimated to happen on April 21, residents have resorted to recycling their water, collecting rain water and using underground sources of water.

City authorities have “strongly discouraged” well point and borehole owners from using groundwater top up swimming pools and water gardens.