Posted by: Saving Water SA (Cape Town, South Africa) – partnered with Water Rhapsody conservation systems – 18 Nov 2011
Capetonians could face stricter water restrictions as dam levels hit a four-year low.
Save good quality drinking water - use grey water for irrigation
Low-level restrictions are already in place including a ban on watering gardens between 10am and 4pm.
Adding to the low dam levels, rainfall this year has also been below average.
A UCT climatologist said of the past 10 months, eight had had below-average rainfall. May, June and July, usually the wettest months, were “drier than normal”.
Climate models showed this situation was likely to become more common in the years ahead and it could drive up the price of water.
Residents were being urged to conserve water. This appeal comes as climate change is expected to lead to rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns.
The City of Cape Town’s water department was due to meet the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry on Wednesday but has not released any details.
The city’s draft annual report says 19 percent of water was “unaccounted for”. This term refers to the difference in the amount of water purchased and in the city’s distribution system, compared with the amount which is sold to customers. Continue reading Residents urged to conserve water
