A ”vital” media briefing by the City of Cape Town on new emergency water restrictions was cancelled only hours before it was set to take place on Friday morning to allow the authorities more time to consult the national department of water affairs.
This comes after city officials held talks with Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica and her director general Mike Muller on Thursday evening about the region’s water supply crisis.
Water restrictions have been in place in Cape Town since October, with residents facing stiff penalties should they waste water.
City media liaison officer Waheed Patel said Capetonians were ”not doing too well as far as water restrictions are concerned”.
”Not enough is being done… if we continue like this, we’re heading for a crisis,” he said.
After ”level two” restrictions were introduced on October 1, water savings achieved for that month equalled 80%.
However, the saving in November dropped to 69%, and indications were December’s figure would be about 60%.
Patel said the figures were ”a bit frightening”.
Commenting on reports in Die Burger newspaper on Friday morning
that suggested more severe ”level three” restriction could be imposed in the new year, Patel said this might not necessarily be the case.
”What Die Burger said is that given the review that’s happening, we could be going to level three restrictions. However, as a city we have not confirmed that. We are in discussions with the department of water affairs to look at what the interventions need to be.
”It doesn’t necessarily mean level three restrictions. I would be cautious in going with Die Burger‘s statement,” he said.
Level three restrictions, if imposed, will ban the use of hose pipes and irrigation systems to water gardens. Buckets would have to be used, and then only before 10am or after 6pm on a Monday or Thursday.
Current level two restrictions permit the use of hose pipes at prescribed times.
Patel said the city’s five main reservoirs were now down to 49%. Last year on this date they were at 66,7%; in 2002 at 87,3%; and in 2001 at 92,8%.
He said a new press conference would be called in the ”next week or two”, once discussions with water affairs were finalised. – Sapa