City of Cape Town declares drought local disaster

As at Monday, 6 March 2017, dam levels dropped to 31.5%, down 1.6% from last week. Effectively, dam levels are at 21.5% as the last 10% of a dam's water is mostly not useable. At the current draw-down rate of the dams, approximately 113 days of useable water is left.

Consumption has broken through the 800-million litre barrier for the first time to 783-million litres of collective use per day, but the city has still not achieved the new collective usage target of 700-million litres per day.

In order to ensure that the City of Cape Town is prepared for all eventualities, the city’s executive mayor Patricia de Lille has declared a local disaster in terms of Section 55 of the Disaster Management Act.

Emergency procurement procedures

On Friday, 3 March 2017, a local disaster was declared and promulgated in the Provincial Gazette.

This declaration is valid for a period of three months but can be extended on a month-to-month basis by notice in the gazette. A council decision is not required.

The city may now invoke emergency procurement procedures if required to expedite the emergency and accelerated water resource schemes.

Monitoring and engagement

"This declaration is not an excuse for our residents not to carry on reducing consumption. There are so many great water ambassadors. Without you, we would have been in more serious trouble. We thank the many residents and businesses who are working with us to save water.

"The city is continuing its monitoring and engagement with the top 20,000 consumers across residential, business, industrial and government properties to ensure that they bring their consumption down.

"Those who have not played an active saving role must do so immediately by ensuring that their homes are water-efficient, that they fix their leaks – both above ground and underground – and that they continue to implement no- to low-cost water-saving techniques," said the city’s mayoral committee member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services, Councillor Xanthea Limberg.

Residents can contact the city via email to az.vog.nwotepac@snoitcirtser.retaw for queries or to report contraventions (evidence should be provided to assist the city’s enforcement efforts) or send an SMS to 31373.

For further information, go to www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater.