City of Cape Town launches a water map to deal with water crisis

The City of Cape Town has launched its water map in an effort to address the water crisis in the municipality. In a statement released by the city, 54% of the total consumers are complying with the request to save water.

The city further urged all residents to come on board for their own good, mentioning the prospect of queuing daily for an allocation of 25l per person.

The water map marks residential properties using less than 10 500l per month with green dots. The map is a transparent tool and will assist in actively managing and reducing consumption to avoid day zero; whose estimated date is April 22.

Alternative water sources

While consumers save, the City is diligently working to deliver additional water as fast as possible from groundwater, desalination and water reuse sources. According to the City, at this critical stage, water consumption remains too high in too many homes. The residential sector uses approximately 65% of the city’s water allocation.

On the other hand, the residential sector has been singled out due to its influence on the city’s water allocation. As such, the city says each household must reduce their consumption within the water restriction limits. Household water usage should reduce to less than 87 litres per person per day.

Households with higher consumption may have many people living on the property or may have an undetected water leak. The city is in the process of looking into this. The consumption information will assist residents and communities to better manage water consumption. The City will continue with extensive enforcement.