During a council meeting which lasted most of Thursday (March 30) and into the next morning, council passed the resolution to have the limits on the amount of monthly usage abolished.
Residents and businesses will not, however, be allowed to irrigate their gardens between 7am and 5pm daily.
“This confirmation follows the gazette by the national Department of Water and Sanitation to lift water restrictions in Gauteng, after improved water levels at the Vaal Dam,” said Themba Gadebe, metro spokesperson.
“Water restrictions have been lifted, but we urge residents and businesses to conserve water by always avoiding daytime irrigation between 7am and 5pm every day.
“When we water during the day, 40 per cent of water evaporates due to sunlight.”
Gadebe further said the lifting of the restrictions brings to an end the punitive tariffs on water use.
Clr Jacques Meiring said the penalties which applied to watering during the day still apply.
He said the new resolution allows normal use of water after 5pm and before 7am.
This means residents may water their gardens with hosepipes during these times.
According to the metro’s 2016/17 Tariff Schedule for Water, the following penalties will be applied to those irrigating during the day:
• Households: a fee of R6 753.64 per incident on the property.
• Businesses and other users: a fee of R13 762.24 per incident on the property.
These fines will be effective until June 30, when a new tariff schedule will be adopted by the metro.
Clr Derek Thomson, the DA’s shadow MMC for Water, Sanitation and Energy in the city, confirmed that water restrictions in Ekurhuleni have ended.
“However, in an attempt to maintain at least an overall 15 per cent saving of water consumption, the resolution still calls for residents not to use irrigation systems between 7am and 5pm,” Thomson said.
“The Democratic Alliance will continue to force the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality (EMM) to respond quicker to large water leaks and to take their own, agreed upon advice, and to only irrigate with grey water and only between the hours of 5pm and 7am.”
Also read:
Watch: Chaos ensues at Ekurhuleni’s State of the City Address, EFF escorted out by EMPD
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