GEORGE NEWS - If water usage patterns do not change, residents in the George area will soon be facing even stricter water restrictions, including a 15 kilolitre per household per month limitation and higher tariffs for those using more than their monthly allocations.
George Municipal Manager Trevor Botha said the level of the Garden Route Dam, which services the greater George area, has been dropping at an average of 1,7% per week in the five weeks since water restrictions were announced on 1 June (from 60,23% on 31 May to 51,63% on 5 July, a total of 8,6%).
The municipality initiated restrictions in terms of its Drought Management Policy when the level of the dam dropped to below 60% on 1 June. These included measures such as designated garden watering times with handheld hoses only, as well as the prohibition of watering sports fields, pressure cleaning surface areas and filling up swimming pools with municipal water.
The latest dam level reading taken yesterday, Wednesday 12 July, is 50,04%.
"Since restrictions were announced, the municipality has widely advertised and raised awareness regarding water restrictions, but has so far seen minimal reduction in water usage. We make an urgent appeal to all water users in the George area to use water sparingly and spread the news and urgency of the matter to everyone. Water security is a very serious matter, as we have already witnessed in other places around our province and country. We want to avoid a crisis as well as financial implications to our ratepayers, but will have no choice but to enforce Section 2C restrictions if trends persist and the dam level drops to below 45%."
In addition to existing water restrictions, the implications of Section 2C restrictions (when the Garden Route Dam level drops to below 45%) include:
- Households shall be limited to 15 kilolitres per month (flow-reducing devices will be installed where limits are exceeded).
- Other users, businesses and entertainment industries will have to reduce consumption by 15% of their average use over the previous six months.
- Large industries will have to reduce consumption by 10% of their average use over the previous six months.
- Gardens will only be allowed to be watered using watering cans or buckets, any time of the day.
- Emergency tariffs will be implemented immediately. View the implications for households on the tariff grid.
- Emergency tariffs for other users (such as schools, old age homes, etc.) shall be 1,5 times more as per their specific published tariff in the annual municipal tariffs list.
George Dam 5 June 2017 facing northwest
The current Section 2B water restrictions mean the following measures are now in place:
- Mechanical irrigation of gardens is prohibited.
- Gardens may only be watered using handheld hoses between 19:00 and 21:00 on specific days. Even-numbered households may only water on Mondays and Thursdays and uneven-numbered households may only water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- The irrigation/watering of all sports fields is prohibited, except for golf course greens, bowling greens and cricket pitches which may be watered daily between 19:00 and 21:00.
- Washing of vehicles with a garden hose, except by a commercial carwash, is prohibited.
- Cleaning of any outside surface areas using a water hose with municipal water is prohibited.
- Filling up of swimming pools with municipal water is prohibited.
- Where own water from a borehole or reservoir is used, ‘Own Water’ signage must be displayed.
Please report water leaks, burst pipes and other water-related concerns to the Civil Engineering Department on 044 801 9262 or after hours on 044 801 6300, as soon as you notice them.
Contraventions of water restrictions can be reported on 044 801 6350. Repeat offenders can expect to pay up to R4 000 per offence, depending on the offence, or be jailed for up to six months if found guilty.
ARTICLE & FOTO'S: MICHELLE PIENAAR, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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