Pretoria - The City of Tshwane is concerned that water consumption remained high in the city over the weekend, despite the stage 2 water restrictions implemented last week to address the critical water situation.
The City warned that the reservoirs could run dry if people did not adhere to the water restrictions, and urged residents to reduce their water usage.
Areas like Soshanguve, parts of Akasia and The Hills in Pretoria east began experiencing water supply interruptions, or water shortages, on Saturday.
The water team subsequently augmented the greater Soshanguve and Mabopane system to channel more water to Soshanguve, resulting in a positive recovery that pushed water levels to 43%.
The water supply to Soshanguve had been restored to 90% of the area by yesterday afternoon. Some areas, however, still experienced low pressure or no water at all. Nine water tankers were deployed to these areas. The City said that teams were working on the ground to restore supply to the remaining areas.
The national Department of Water and Sanitation has also urged water users to be circumspect in the manner in which they utilise the available water, due to the high temperatures being experienced in various parts of the country.
Its weekly state of water reservoirs report demonstrated a minor depletion in storage. The latest showed that the overall national storage capacity of the country’s reservoirs was at 89.5%, a tiny decline from last week’s 89.7%, and still a significant improvement from last year’s 78.6%.
However, the country’s largest water supply system, the Integrated Vaal River System, dipped marginally from 94.5% last week to 93.8% this week. Some water supply systems that have declined are Bloemfontein from 95.6.% last week to 95.4% this week, and both Crocodile East and West, experiencing marginal reductions from 93.4% to 91.7% and 91.4% to 89.8%, respectively.
The state 2 water restrictions will remain in place until capacity is back at 60%. Residents may meanwhile not water their gardens with a hosepipe.
Water-saving tips:
* Only flush the toilet when necessary.
* Flush with greywater only (water previously used for laundry or showers).
* Take short, stop-start showers. Wet your body, turn off the tap, lather and rinse quickly.
* Do not let taps run for too long or at full flow. Use a cup when shaving, brushing teeth, etc.
* Place a large container in your shower to capture water for use in toilets.
* Only wash what is necessary.
* Wait for a full load before running washing machines and dishwashers.
* Reuse water to flush toilets.
* Use a broom to clean hard outdoor surfaces and not water from a hosepipe.
* Do not use municipal drinking water for pools, ponds or water features. Fit a pool cover and/or harvest rainwater instead.
Pretoria News