Water guzzlers in Cape Town have been identified by the city council in a bid to name and shame mense who refuse to heed calls to save water as the dams that supply the city are collectively less than one quarter full.
“During this time of drought, we have appealed to all residents, businesses, and government departments to work with the City of Cape Town to conserve water,” mayor Patricia de Lille said yesterday.
“The City continues to monitor the water usage of the top 20 000 high water consumers in formal residences as well as commercial, industrial, and government properties in all suburbs. No one is escaping our efforts to see to it that consumption is reduced voluntarily, or forcibly, if required.”
Over the past week, the City issued 36 fines for contraventions of Level 3B restrictions.
The fines ranged from R500 to R2 000, and were issued in 19 areas including Blackberry Mall, Strandfontein; Van der Heever Street, Kuils River; a building site in Mitchells Plain, Riebeeck Street in the CBD, and a building site in Duinefontein Road, Heideveld, Rosmead Avenue, Kenilworth, Turfhall Road, Lansdowne, among other areas.
Fines were issued to mense and businesses for various contraventions, including using potable water to wash a vehicle, washing down hard surfaces with a hosepipe, irrigating without permission and outside designated times for garden watering, use of a sprinkler, and water wastage (ie leaking taps, pipes, overflowing hot water cylinders).
“It is unacceptable that people are still not adhering to water restrictions. This is unlawful. This abuse of water means that we will all suffer,” De Lille said.
“In terms of naming water abusers, the City will only publish the identities of residents or commercial properties once they have paid a fine or once they have appeared in court in connection with their transgression of Level 3B restrictions.
“In addition, I am personally calling commercial properties about their water use where we have noticed higher than average consumption patterns.”
De Lille added that even the city council had undertaken to drastically reduce consumption.