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You spray, you pay: Usage stays high so Tshwane implements ‘water shedding’

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 Tshwane is the latest municipality to clamp down on those who keep using too much water. PHOTO:
Tshwane is the latest municipality to clamp down on those who keep using too much water. PHOTO:

Municipalities are starting to get tough with people who ignore water restrictions.

A month after Rand Water called on municipalities to reduce their supply of water to residents, the water utility announced a week ago that water reduction had decreased by a disappointing 2.7%.

Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane announced that users in Gauteng who ignored water restrictions faced severe penalties or even time behind bars.

And now, the newly elected Mayor of Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, has announced the throttling of the city’s water supply to keep reservoirs at good levels.

Msimanga listed inteventions under the theme “Thiba Komelelo” (stop the drought) to be rolled out in order to cut back on water usage, including the following measures:

» The implentation of scheduled water shedding;

» The installation of flow restrictors to high water consumers/users; and

» The reduction of water pressure in low-lying areas, where possible.

“We have been left with no choice, but to implement these measures, failing which we would be facing the prospect of our taps running dry,” Msimanga said.

He pleaded with residents to be stringent with the implementation of water restrictions in their homes and offices as the country continues to face a drought.

Water restrictions were imposed on Tshwane municipality on September 13.

Last week, Rand Water, Gauteng’s main source of water supply, called on municipalities across the province to reduce the supply of water by 15% or face the prospect of a complete system crush as dam levels continued to dwindle to unprecedented levels.

After the restrictions were imposed, customers were asked to save water by not doing the following:

» Irrigating gardens with a hosepipe or sprinkler between 6am and 6pm (you are only allowed to do so between 6pm and 10pm);

» Washing vehicles with hosepipes, only buckets to be used;

» Filling of swimming pools;

» Irrigating golf courses with municipal water; and

» Irrigating municipal parks and road islands.


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