Consumption must be brought down to 500 million litres of water per day to help Cape Town to get through as much of the summer as possible, towards winter 2018.
Reducing consumption still remains absolutely vital.
‘We must introduce supply augmentation schemes. Various processes must be finalised pertaining to the procurement. We are doing everything that we can to ensure that Cape Town survives the drought, but that we also adapt so that we can thrive irrespective of a drought as part of our New Normal approach to the unpredictability of climatic conditions,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg.
The City reminds residents to reduce water flow on their property through adjusting their private stopcocks or water control taps.
How to adjust a stopcock to reduce water flow (this should ideally be done during the day):
- Close the stopcock by turning it in a clockwise direction, and open it again (about a half turn)
- Go to the tap furthest away from the stopcock (this could be inside the house, in the back garden/yard or in an upstairs bathroom)
- Open the cold water tap and see if there is sufficient water flowing
- If required, adjust the stopcock a half turn at a time until a reasonable but reduced flow rate of water to the furthest cold water tap is achieved
For a video illustrating how to adjust a stopcock, please watch this video clip.
For information on how to meet the 87-litre per day usage requirement, residents should please visit the water restrictions page on the City’s website: www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater and utilise our water calculator: http://bit.ly/ThinkWaterCalculatorCT
Residents can contact the City via email to water@capetown.gov.za for queries about the water pressure reduction, or to report contraventions of the water restrictions (evidence should be provided to assist the City’s enforcement efforts), or they can send an SMS to 31373.
Water supplied by the City remains safe to drink and is tested in accordance with safety standards.