The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is reminding residents and businesses to be water wise at all times, especially during prolonged high stages of load-shedding this summer. See how you too can be water wise.
The City has proactively set a maximum limit for our collective water use to be no more than 850 million litres per day. This will help maintain the supply during prolonged high stages of load-shedding, which is affecting water supply operations. See: https://bit.ly/3j4fEga
‘Let’s all do our part by using water wisely, fixing leaks and following permanent water-saving regulations.
‘Using less water will help deal with operational challenges, notably due to heavy load-shedding and summer weather conditions, which are impacting our water treatment plants and ability to convey water to reservoirs and areas across Cape Town, especially to high-lying areas where the water has to be pumped.
‘While City teams are monitoring the water supply operations and usage very closely and doing all they can to maintain supply, we also need our residents to help us during this time by using less water.
‘Cape Town will be enjoying hot weather over the festive season so residents are reminded of the restrictions related to pools, outdoor water use such as gardening, vehicle cleaning and other aspects, that are in place at all times, to help save water because we are in a water-scarce region,’ said Councillor Siseko Mbandezi, the City’s Acting Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
The following regulations in the City’s Water By-law are in place at all times even though water restrictions were lifted from 1 November 2020:
Swimming pools
• All swimming pools must be covered by a pool cover to avoid evaporation when not in use.
• Automatic top up systems using a float valve fed from a municipal drinking water source to supply swimming pools and garden ponds are not allowed.
Outdoor water use and groundwater
• Watering only allowed before 09:00 or after 18:00 (to avoid evaporation losses in the heat of the day). This applies to watering with municipal drinking water, and is also recommended for alternative water e.g. borehole and well-point water.
• Automated sprinkler systems must be able to be correctly positioned and be able to be adjusted to prevent water wastage.
• Hosepipes used for watering or washing vehicles, boats and caravans must be fitted with a controlling device such as a spray nozzle or automatic self-closing device.
• No hosing down of hard-surfaced or paved areas with municipal drinking water allowed. Water users, such as abattoirs, food-processing industries, care facilities, animal shelters and other industries or facilities with special needs (health/safety related only) must apply for exemption.
• Outdoor taps, except those on residential properties, must be secured to prevent unauthorised use.
• The City recommends that alternative water sources like boreholes and well-point water be used sparingly and efficiently.
Efficiency of taps, toilets and showers
• The maximum flow rate of new and replaced showerheads may not exceed seven litres per minute.
• The maximum flow rate of any tap installed at a washbasin may not exceed six litres per minute.
• New or replaced toilet cisterns may not exceed six litres in capacity.
• Basins and showers provided at public facilities must be fitted with demand-type taps.
Car washes
• Commercial car wash industries must comply with industry best-practice norms regarding water usage per car washed (e.g. recycling and re-using a minimum of 50% of the water used).
Construction sites
• Municipal drinking water may not be used to dampen building sand and other building material to prevent it from being blown away.
Leaks:
• Check your water fittings and pipes regularly for leaks. Residents can learn how to do so here or see the table below.
HOW RESIDENTS CAN FIND AND FIX LEAKS QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY
Steps to check for leaks on the property:
• Step 1: Stop all water use. Close all the taps on the property and do not flush the toilet.
• Step 2: Check and record the water meter reading.
• Step 3: Wait for at least 15 minutes and take another reading. Make sure that nobody has opened a tap or flushed the toilet since the meter reading was taken.
• Step 4: If there is a difference, then the leak will have to be fixed. If the number on the meter has increased, then it means that a leak has been detected and fast action will need to be taken.
• Step 5: Unless it is a simple DIY job, residents are encouraged to call a plumber to fix the leak. Three simple tests to detect a toilet leak:
• Listen for the water trickling into the toilet bowl.
• Press a piece of toilet paper against the inside back surface of the bowl. If it gets wet, you probably have a leak.
• Put 15 drops of food colouring into the toilet cistern. If after 15 minutes the water in the toilet bowl has changed colour, then there is a leak. If you cannot afford to call a plumber to fix a serious toilet problem, use the little stopcock/angle valve tap at the base of the toilet to keep it turned off between flushes.
Source: City Of Cape Town