DESPITE recent rains, the drought situation remains severe with the only hope of breaking it being an aobove-average rainfall. In light of the dire situation, which continues to have a negative impact on most parts of eThekwini, the Municipality is urging residents to reduce their daily water consumption by 15 per cent.
“Northern areas supplied by Hazelmere Dam are still under severe water restrictions due to the low water level at the dam. About 33 000 water restrictors have been implemented in areas supplied by the Hazelmere system to reduce the usage of water,” said Head of Communications, Tozi Mthethwa.
She said the City appeals to all residents to reduce their water consumption. Domestic, commercial and industrial consumption is to be reduced by 50 per cent in the Northern areas and 15 per cent of normal consumption in the rest of the city.
The City's Senior Manager for Water Operations, Ashan Nandlall said if all residents reduced their daily consumption by 15 per cent it would not be necessary to implement further water restrictions.
Reducing water consumption in individual households will also have a positive impact on the dam levels.
Simple water-saving tips can help save water, which includes fixing leaking taps immediately, as a dripping tap wastes up to 76 litres of water. A bucket can be placed under the tap until it is fixed. The collected water can be used for other purposes.
“Use a bucket to collect water from the shower while you’re waiting for the water to warm up and reuse water,” said Nandlall.
Grey water, which is water used for another household purpose that can be reused, can be used for a number of purposes such as watering the garden.
Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth, as this can save up to six litres of water per minute, and don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily as the toilet uses about six litres of water every time you flush.
Water leaks and pipe bursts should be reported quickly and accurately in order for them to be repaired timeously. EThekwini Water Services staff are prioritising all severe bursts and leaks with repair teams g deployed to hotspot areas to minimise the loss of water.
The municipal helpline operates 24 hours. Residents are encouraged to contact the Call Centre on 0801313013, or sms 43554 to report any water-related matters.
