Sewers will keep functioning‚ Cape Town assures residents

The City of Cape Town says it will ensure that its water-borne sewerage system continues to function in the event of Day Zero.

Drought-stricken Cape Town faces the prospect of running so low on water that the municipality may turn off the supply to taps and ration residents to 25 litres per person a day. The latest estimate for this unprecedented event is April 12.

The city has been encouraging residents to curb their water use by flushing less frequently. However‚ if the water flow in the system is reduced too sharply‚ there is a risk of blockages and raw sewage leaks.

In the event of Day Zero‚ the city would provide residents with guidelines on managing sanitation within households to minimise the impact on the sewerage system‚ Xanthea Limberg‚ the City of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for informal settlements‚ water and waste services‚ said on Wednesday.

"Additional actions will be taken by the city to manage any sewage build-up and [it] will use alternative water to flush the system at strategic points‚" Limberg said.

She urged residents to switch to one-ply toilet paper to minimise the risk of blockages and use contingency sanitary technology such as waterless or composting toilets if they had the means to do so.

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