On the 1st February, Level 6b Water Restrictions will take effect, cutting the daily allowance to 50 litres per person per day.
The situation is dire and all residents are urged to drastically cut their water usage. Day Zero, the day when all taps are switched off (save for certain exclusions) and residents will have to collect a daily water allowance from certain collection points, is anticipated for around 22 April.
To assist residents to track their water usage, the City of Cape Town (COCT) has introduced Water Maps. Visit City of Cape Town on www.capetown.gov.za and navigate to the water map. If it shows up as a ‘blank’, you are exceeding the limit, ‘light green’ means you are within your 10,500 litres/month limit and ‘dark green’ means you are below the 6,000 litres/month limit while a grey dot means that no information is available.
Here are some immediate steps that you can take in your home to cut your water usage:
Shower - don’t bath; shower only for two minutes or less. Stretch your hair washes by using dry shampoo.
Catch water spills – put tubs in all basins, the sink and shower to catch water spillage for re-use as grey water.
Running taps – immediately cease the habit of running taps. Open the tap only half way and only for a moment for your needs, close it in between use.
Sanitise – use a sanitiser rather than washing your hands.
Dishes – drastically cut down on the amount of dishes used, hand wash rather than using a dishwasher, re-cycle the water for other household cleaning and toilet flushing needs.
Cooking – simplify your cooking so that it requires fewer dishes and less washing up. Use paper plates and other disposables to cut down on dishes.
Laundry – redirect your outlets into a bin/tub and recycle this water for household cleaning and toilet flushing. This water could also be used sparingly for minor outdoor needs.
Bedding – stretch washing your bedding by using a linen spray to keep it fresh. Only change pillow cases and the sheet, keep the duvet cover.
Toilets – close all inlet taps and only use recycled water to flush and only flush when needed.
Rainwater – start thinking about ways to harvest rainwater by installing a water tank or using containers. This water can then be used for all non-drinking needs.
Safety – if you are using buckets and containers for grey water collection/storage, keep safety in mind and cover these at all times. Take extra care if you have young children and pets.
Smells – use a bit of bleach for toilets and grey water if a smell develops.
For any additional information and tips visit the COCT website, www.capetown.gov.za.