CITY OF CAPE TOWN
27 FEBRUARY 2018
STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS, WATER AND WASTE SERVICES; AND ENERGY, COUNCILLOR XANTHEA LIMBERG
All residents and businesses urged to adhere to City’s Water By-law and related public notices
In view of the ongoing dire drought situation, the City of Cape Town has given notice to all residents and businesses residing in Cape Town of the following rules and regulations, in accordance with the City’s Water By-law.
The resale of unmodified municipal water without prior permission from the City of Cape Town’s Director: Water and Waste Services is prohibited and no permission for applications will be granted during this drought period. The use and selling of modified municipal water whether through filtration, ozone, carbonation and related methods, bottled or not, where the end product remains water, is hereby also prohibited during this period.
It should be noted that this prohibition excludes sodas and flavoured water (with additives), ice teas and related drinks but the Level 6B reduction in consumption of 45% for all non-residential use still applies. This restriction does not apply to water from alternative sources, e.g. springs.
All users of groundwater and surface water must comply with the National Water Act and its regulations. With regard to the regulations around springs; boreholes; well points; rivers; streams and vlei water, we would like to emphasise that residents must obtain permission from the National Department of Water and Sanitation (NDWS) in order to take water from a resource, i.e. ground or surface water. The City would like to remind residents that the National Department of Water and Sanitation has emphasised that water from private boreholes is not meant for sale and that commercial and industrial entities must still seek the necessary authorisation from the department to sell surface and groundwater. Businesses that are selling groundwater and/or surface water must declare the source and display proof of authorisation from NDWS on any vehicle/transportation mode and retail outlet dispensing such water.
Furthermore, we want to emphasise that all non-residential toilet facilities including office blocks and public facilities must retrofit their toilets with water efficient fittings, change the conventional urinals to waterless ones and shut off water to most hand basins and provide sanitisers for hand washing. The City has a tender in place to retrofit our own facilities and this is currently being rolled out.
I would once again like to thank the many residents who have really gone above and beyond the call of duty with their water saving efforts. We know this new normal is not an easy transition for anyone but we ask for your continued sense of urgency and adaptability during this unprecedented water crisis we are currently facing.
End
Issued by: Media Office, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Councillor Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1299 or Cell: 073 271 2054, Email: Xanthea.limberg@capetown.gov.za (please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za).
