Non-compliance could land you in deep water

Gone are the days of switching on your sprinkler to water your garden, washing your car with the hosepipe or filling your swimming pool with municipal water.

Since last year November, level two water restrictions have been in place in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, which includes the Roodepoort and Florida areas. However, with the recent low rainfall and the Vaal Dam levels being very low, non-compliance to these restrictions could land you in deep water.

Section 44 (3) of the Water Services Bylaw states that in the case of level 2 restrictions, all consumers are not to –

– irrigate their gardens between 6am and 6pm

– fill their swimming pools with municipal water

– use hose pipes to wash their cars

– clean paved driveways with municipal water

A requirement added recently is that only handheld hose pipes, buckets or watering cans may be used outside of these hours.

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) have been commissioned by Joburg Water to ensure residents comply with the restrictions. Should the JMPD found residents or businesses not adhering, a fine will be issued and added to the residents’ or businesses’ municipal bills.

What should you do when you see someone not adhering to the water restrictions?

Joburg Water urges community members to report use of water that is not in line with the restrictions to the JMPD on their dedicated line on 011 758 9650.

Rain harvesting and boreholes are two ways to save water and reduce water usage. Some businesses and residents already do their part to help reduce usage.

The Roodepoort Golf Club (CMR) and Westgate Super Regional Shopping Centre are two businesses setting an example by using borehole water and harvesting rain .

Natasha Pretorius from CMR said, “We have three boreholes and two dams, which fill up with storm water that we exclusively use to water the course. All sprinklers are on timers to ensure they do not run the whole day.”

Gail Tshabalala, Westgate assistant marketing manager said,

“We pride ourselves on being environmentally friendly. We have invested in water harvesting and use borehole water.”

Another way to save water is to make sure burst pipes and leaking taps are fixed immediately. Residents are urged to report a burst pipe, leaks or any other water related issues to Joburg Water on 011 375 5555 or 0860 562 874.

Also Read:

Rand Water implements water restrictions, but…

Use water sparingly, urges Rand Water