Day Zero off the cards in 2019 for Cape Town

29-06-2018
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Bizcommunity.com
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The levels of the dams supplying water to Cape Town have been rising consistently and significantly over the past six weeks, says the deputy mayor of Cape Town Ian Neilson.

“As at today, total dam storage capacity is at just over 43%, and we still have more than two months of expected winter rainfall ahead of us. Over the last few months, our collective water usage has been around 520 million litres per day.

“This may be compared to the situation at the end of winter last year, when dam levels were at 38% and consumption was over 600 million litres a day,” said Neilson on Thursday, 28 June.

He said the city was now in a position to state that not only have they avoided Day Zero, but Cape Town residents will also safely get through summer in 2019.

Encouraging rainfall

This is due to the amount of water already in the dams, intense water demand management programmes, unrelenting communication, awareness and the behavioural change it has effected over the past two years, as well as the continued support and sacrifice of Team Cape Town.

“We are now in a much better position, not only due to the encouraging rainfall we have seen so far, but also because of the incredible cooperation of our residents and due to the various technological and human interventions initiated by this municipality to drive down consumption,” said the deputy mayor.

Restrictions remain in place

Neilson said while the city hopes at some point in the next few months to be in a position to relax the current restrictions, this decision will have to wait until national government relaxes restrictions on releases from the water supply system.

He has requested a meeting with the minister of water and sanitation Gugile Nkwinti to discuss this.

“Until such time as we are able to reassess our situation, let us all therefore continue to implement these changes and keep saving water,” he urged.