Day Zero for Makana Municipality is three months away, if the current rate of water useage continues, according to Infrastructure and Technical Services Director Dali Mlenzana.
Speaking at the Council’s Infrastructure and Technical Services Portfolio Committee meeting yesterday, he said measures were in place to reduce water useage; however restrictions were difficult to enforce and relied on social pressure among residents.
The dam levels recorded in yesterday’s agenda were: Settlers Dam 19.8% and Howieson’s Poort 76%, with the total number of days of water available from both dams 132 at current water useage rates.
Additional water restrictions immediately effective when it comes to using treated municipal water include no use of hosepipes except for fire-fighting purposes – plants may be watered only using a hand-held container and no sprinklers or irrigation systems. All borehole users must register with the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Stepped tariffs were set out in the meeting documents that will see residents paying up to R13.87 and businesses R17.31 a unit for useage above 51kl/per month during critical periods, such as when Howieson’s Poort is less than 30%.
