City cautions Cape Town after it exceeds water consumption target

The great Cape Town drought of the decade may largely be a thing of the past, but it’s not something that should be forgotten any time soon.

That said, it seems that Capetonians may have done just that.

According to the City of Cape Town, the city has exceeded its target water usage figure for the first time since water restrictions were eased in October.

The City’s current target is set at 650-million litres. Two weeks ago, Cape Town came close to exceeding this. This past week, the City measured an outflow of 657-million.

“We caution residents to keep a closer eye on consumption levels over the coming weeks and react appropriately if the upward trend in consumption continues,” noted Xanthea Limberg, the City’s MayCo member for water and waste.

Limberg also cautioned that 2019 was a “drier-than-average year” and this trend is set to continue.

This past week, Cape Town’s dam level have dropped by 0.9% to 79.7%. It’s the first time levels have dipped below 80% since early August.

Feature image: A view of the Wemmershoek (lower left), Berg River (bottom right), and Theewaterskloof Dam (distance) from the sky in April 2019, by Andy Walker/Memeburn