Tshwane announces Stage 2 water restrictions

The City Of Tshwane announced that it would implement Stage 2 water restrictions to prevent bulk water supply systems from collapsing and running dry.

The decision came after Rand Water notified the city that significant increases in water consumption have resulted in a decline in overall reservoir capacity from 52% to 38%.

Rand Water implemented Stage 2 water restrictions which seek to reduce water consumption by 30%.

The city said that Stage 2 restrictions, which call for a 30% reduction in water consumption, would trigger Level 2 water tariffs, which are scaled tariff increases that can be implemented.

The spokesperson for Executive Mayor Randall Williams said “we should all be conscious of our water usage, […] we are facing a multi-pronged challenge”.

He said that water supply issues were likely to affect residents for some time as load-shedding also had an impact on water supply alongside Rand Water’s low water capacity, “especially to high lying areas, which use water pumps”.

He urged residents to comply with Stage 2 water restrictions and to do their part to conserve water.
Rand Water said that restrictions would be monitored every two weeks, and that the restrictions would be adjusted as required. They called on consumers to reduce their water usage to prevent the implementation of further stages.

According to Rand Water data, dam status and total storage capacity in the Vaal River System decreased by 94.5% compared to levels the previous week (as of September 26).

The City of Tshwane has urged residents to use water sparingly, and has prohibited the following with immediate effect:

– Watering gardens with a hosepipe or irrigation systems
– Cleaning driveways and patios with a hosepipe
– Washing vehicles with a hosepipe
– Filling or topping up swimming pools and water features
These measures would be implemented to avoid reservoirs running dry, resulting in water shortages and water supply interruptions.

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