Stricter water restrictions in place following lack of rainfall

Consumers are able to install private prepaid water meters – available from Straton Prepaid.

Private Prepaid Water and Electricity meters are ideal to monitor and control water and electricity usage in ‘granny’ flats and sectional title complexes.

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor Athol Trollip announced stricter water restrictions at a press conference held at the Port Elizabeth City Hall Council Chambers today.

This follows the decline of dam levels to an average of 19.27%. See a history of the dam levels HERE.

Given the strong possibility that the drought can continue, should local water consumption not be reduced further, Mayor Trollip appealed to local residents and communities to adhere to the firmer water restrictive measures, as detailed below:

Restrictive measures

Restriction when average dam levels are at 20%:

Restrict household consumption to 15 kl per metered connection.
Blanket restriction of high consumers using discs or flow restrictors
No use of hosepipes allowed (to water gardens, wash cars, hose down walls or paving, top up pools, fountains or ponds, etc.), unless: The water is from a source other than municipal. The water is used for fire-fighting purposes.
No use of municipal water supply allowed to water gardens, wash cars, hose down walls or paving, top up pools, fountains or ponds, etc.
No use of sprinklers or irrigation systems allowed, unless the water is from a source other than municipal.
All building contractors to use treated effluent, collected from Fishwater Flats (or any other appropriate wastewater treatment works), other than for concrete work.
All domestic customers will have a flow meter restrictor installed. All borehole users must register with the municipality, and comply with the conditions attached to such registration, particularly the prohibition on sale or transfer of own borehole water for use on other properties.
No applications to build swimming pools will be approved.
No use of automatic urinal flushing systems allowed.
All car washes will be closed if they have not achieved the requirement to recycle 60% of their water.
No municipal showers will operate.
Municipal swimming pools must be filled with suitable ground water.
Residential, institutional and government users are subject to Part C of the Schedule of Tariffs.
Commercial and Industrial users are subject to Part C of the Schedule of Tariffs.
All requirements of the Water and Sanitation By-Law will be enforced, as will the conditions of Restriction Notice 5

The Municipality requests:

That all residents use a maximum of 50 litres per person per day.
That cistern “bricks” be utilised in every toilet.
That household toilets be flushed with non-municipal water (e.g. grey, rain or borehole water).
That water-efficient showerheads be used.

The Municipality will:

Make recycled effluent available to contractors and householders for non-drinking purposes during business hours (08:00 – 16:00).
Make untreated groundwater available for non-drinking purposes, at the Motherwell cemetery.
Install flow control valves at 50 high water user schools.
Train and utilise peace officers from amongst the staff of all directorates, and Metro Police officers, to enforce the provisions of the Water and Sanitation Services By-Law and the restriction notice.
Install cistern “bricks” in every one of its own cisterns.
Manage its internal water usage, per directorate, based on the audit conducted