The City of Cape Town has lifted its strict water restrictions after several years of drought conditions and a close call with a “day zero” scenario where the taps could have run dry.
Now the dams are 100% full and providing the city with water.
From November 1, there will be no more water restrictions in the city and the tariff charged will be the lowest tariff: being the no restriction, water-wise tariff, said Western Cape Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister Anton Bredell.
“Before the drought, the city’s daily water use was above 1.2-billion litres. The city and its citizens managed to reduce consumption below 500-million litres at the height of the crisis. This was a major contributing factor to the fact that the city did not run out of drinking water. At the moment the city’s use is around 690-million litres per day,” he explained.
“The tariff adjustment will offer residents some financial relief while ensuring the city continues to provide reliable water services and invests in new water sources.”
The city continues to move towards being more resilient in order to avoid similar challenges in future as far as possible.
“This is done by investing in and adding new sources to the city’s water supply and becoming a water-sensitive city,” he concluded, urging consumers to continue to be water wise and to use the resource responsibly.