LIMPOPO – Mokopane is already in the fourth month of the rainy season and the Doorndraai dam levels are critically low at 24%. Due to the drought and low dam levels the town soon faces level six water restrictions, but what does it mean for residents?
• No watering/irrigation with municipal drinking water allowed. This includes watering/irrigation of gardens, vegetables, agricultural crops, sports fields, golf courses, nurseries, parks and other open spaces. Nurseries and customers involved in agricultural activities or with historical gardens may apply for an exemption.
• The use of borehole/well point water for outdoor purposes, including watering/irrigating and filling/topping up of swimming pools, is strongly discouraged in order to preserve groundwater resources in the current dire drought situation. Borehole/well-point-water should rather be used for toilet flushing.
• All boreholes and well points must be registered with the municipality and must display the official municipality signage clearly visible from a public thoroughfare.
• All properties where alternative, non-drinking water resources are used (including rainwater harvesting, grey-water, treated effluent water and spring water) must display signage to this effect clearly visible from a public thoroughfare.
• No topping up (manual/automatic) filling or refilling of swimming pools with municipal drinking water is allowed, even if fitted with a pool cover.
• The use of portable or any temporary play pools is prohibited.
• No washing of vehicles (including taxis), trailers, caravans and boats with municipal drinking water allowed. These must be washed with non-drinking water or cleaned with waterless products or dry steam cleaning processes. This applies to all customers, including formal and informal car washes.
• No washing or hosing down of hard-surfaced or paved areas with municipal drinking water allowed. Users, such as abattoirs, food processing industries, care facilities, animal shelters and other industries or facilities with special needs (health/safety related only) must apply for an exemption.
• The use of municipal drinking water for ornamental water fountains or water features is prohibited.
• Customers are strongly encouraged to install water-efficient parts, fittings and technologies to minimise water use at all taps, shower-heads and other plumbing components.
Restrictions applicable to residential customers:
• All residents are required to use no more than 87,5 litres of municipal drinking water per person per day in total irrespective of whether you are at home, work or elsewhere. Therefore, a residential property with four occupants, for example, is expected to use at most 10 500 litres per month.
• Single residential properties consuming more than 10 500 litres of municipal drinking water per month will be prioritised for enforcement.
Properties, where the number of occupants necessitates higher consumption, are encouraged to apply for an increase in quota.
• Cluster developments (flats and housing complexes) consuming more than 10 500 litres of municipal drinking water per unit per month will be prioritized for enforcement (see note 1). Cluster developments with units where the number of occupants necessitates higher consumption are encouraged to apply for an increase in quota.
• You are encouraged to flush toilets (e.g. manually using a bucket) with grey-water, rainwater or other non-drinking water.
• No increase of the indigent water allocation over and above the free 350 litres a day will be granted, unless through prior application and permission for specific events such as burial ceremonies.
Restrictions applicable to non-residential customers:
• All non-residential properties (e.g. commercial and industrial properties, schools, clubs and institutions) must ensure that their monthly consumption of municipal drinking water is reduced by 45%.
• All agricultural users must ensure that their monthly consumption of municipal drinking water is reduced by 60%.
• The operation of spray parks is prohibited.
• No new landscaping or sports fields may be established, except if irrigated only with non-drinking water.
• For users supplied with water in terms of special contracts (notarial deeds, water service intermediaries or water service providers), the contract conditions shall apply.
NOTE 1:
Failure to comply will constitute as an offence and the accused will be liable to an admission of guilt fine in accordance with Section 36(4), and a water management device (s) will be installed at premises where the non-compliance occurs.
The cost thereof will be billed to the relevant account holder. Customers with a good reason for higher consumption need to provide the municipality an application with motivation to justify their higher consumption.
Water pressure will be reduced to limit consumption and water leaks, and such may cause intermittent water supply.
