Thousands of Capetonians may soon be cut off at the Newlands spring after the City of Cape Town threatened action against a man who erected a makeshift kraan there.
Mense have been queueing to get water at the spring in Kildare Road since the threat of Day Zero arose.
However, this may come to an end after the City sent resident Riyaz Rawoot, who created the water collection structure, a letter to remove it or face the consequences, reports the Cape Argus.
The letter said the City had moved the water collection point to Newlands pool and the structure at the spring was to be removed by Rawoot, or the City would take it down, leaving Rawoot to foot the bill.
This caused outrage among residents who thought Rawoot should’ve been commended.
Newlands resident and founder of Reclaim Camissa, Caron von Zeil, also said: “The City has received positive global attention for the commendable way in which our citizens have taken action in support of others and in their respect for a scarce resource and Riyaz Rawoot is no ‘ordinary citizen’.”
But City of Cape Town director of Communication Priya Reddy said: “The Kildare spring licensing conditions does not enable it to be a collection point - it will either be utilised as a recharge to Liesbeeck River or to enter the potable water supply. There is no proper drainage from the collection points into the system at Kildare, meaning there is water wastage.”