Water restrictions, tariffs to be lowered

City of Cape Town to relax water restrictions.
The City of Cape Town will lower water restrictions and tariffs to Level 5 from Monday October 1.

This will bring tariff relief of between 26,6% and 70% per kilolitre of water depending on the usage and tariff category.

The decision comes as the province’s dams are now at 68% capacity compared to this time last year when they were at 38% capacity. 

In February, due to very low supply storage the City imposed Level 6B water restrictions.

At the beginning of July, dam capacity again exceeded 50% for the first time in two years.

The City then called for a discussion with the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) around the relaxation of restrictions. Since then, two meetings have been held with the other large users in the system, both urban and agricultural, and the DWS. 

The DWS undertook to respond by Friday August 31, but have yet to do so. 

The City says it believes, with the full support of the other catchment users such as other municipalities and the agricultural sector, that an interim adjustment is fully justified and appropriate at this stage.

A further reassessment of future adjustments will be made once the DWS makes a ruling for the new hydrological year or advises on an interim relaxation.