Tighter water restrictions as supply dams drop below 20 percent

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive mayor, Athol Trollip, has announced tighter water restrictions as the combined capacity of the Metro’s main supply dams drops below 20 percent. Addressing the media, Trollip introdused a range of new restrictions as well as aking residents to report neighbours who ignore water restrictions by irrigating their lawns, washing cars or filling swimming pools, ponds and fountains.

Commercial and industrial users will also be subject to Part C of the tariff schedule, while stressing that water and sanitation by-laws will be enforced.

“If we don’t implement these measures now, which are harsh, then the next stage is restrictions where the dam levels reach 15% (of combined capacity).  Those restrictions are even more severe,” the mayor said.

The following measures were announced on Wednesday and although they pertain to specifically to the NMB municipality, St Francis does fall within the NMB water supply control so consider the following applying to St Francis

• Restrict household consumption to 15 kl per metered connection
• Blanket restriction of high consumers using discs or flow restrictors
• No use of hosepipes allowed (to water gardens, wash cars, hose down walls or paving, top up pools, fountains or ponds, etc.), unless:
• The water is from a source other than municipal.
• The water is used for fire-fighting purposes.
• No use of municipal water supply allowed to water gardens, wash cars, hose down walls or paving, top up pools, fountains or ponds, etc.
• No use of sprinklers or irrigation systems allowed, unless:
• The water is from a source other than municipal.
• All building contractors to use treated effluent, collected from Fishwater Flats (or any other appropriate wastewater treatment works), other than for concrete work.
• All domestic customers will have a flow meter restrictor installed. All borehole users must register with the municipality, and comply with the conditions attached to such registration, particularly the prohibition on sale or transfer of own borehole water for use on other properties.
• No applications to build swimming pools will be approved.
• No use of automatic urinal flushing systems allowed.
• All car washes will be closed if they have not achieved the requirement to recycle 60% of their water.
• No municipal showers will operate.
• Municipal swimming pools must be filled with suitable ground water.
• Residential, institutional and government users are subject to Part C of the Schedule of Tariffs.
• Commercial and Industrial users are subject to Part C of the Schedule of Tariffs.
• All requirements of the Water and Sanitation By-Law will be enforced, as will the conditions of Restriction Notice 5

Trollip has asked

• That all residents within NMB water supply system use a maximum of 50 litres per person per day.
• That cistern “bricks” be utilised in every toilet.
• That household toilets be flushed with non-municipal water (e.g. grey, rain or borehole water).
• That water-efficient shower-heads be used.