Dear Cape Town, dam levels are rising but you’re still using too much water

The City of Cape Town believes that the city’s residents are still using far too much water. This even after the more stringent Level 4b water restrictions came into effect on 1 July 2017.

Level 4b restrictions “requires all water users to immediately use less than 87 litres of water per person per day in total, irrespective of whether you are at home, work or elsewhere,” explains the City, but residents are using a lot more than that.

Overall, the City is targeting consumption below 500-million litres per day with the latest restrictions, but Cape Town’s inhabitants are still using 634-million litres per day.

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There is some good news though.

Dam levels have been steadily increasing this past month, and now stands at 25.3%, with the largest dam in the system, the Theewaterskloof, now just below the 20% mark.

According to the University of Cape Town’s CSAG (Climate System Analysis Group), 2017’s cumulative rainfall is also only slightly ahead of 2016’s at present, but it still wanes in comparison to the extremely wet years of 2013 and 2007.

The City of Cape Town has however warned residents that 2018’s summer is set to be hot and dry, which will in turn put more pressure on the city’s water stores.

Solutions are being explored and the City has considered temporary desalination and reverse osmosis plants to deal with the crisis.

The next noticeable spell of precipitation is forecast to strike Cape Town this weekend.