Tips for living the 50 litre life

Thank you to all Capetonians! Due to your water-saving efforts and declining water use from the agricultural sector, Day Zero has been moved out to 11 May 2018.

However, the only way we can push it out further, is if we keep up the momentum and “live the 50-litre life”.

Level 6b water restrictions in a nutshell:

• Effective from 1 February 2018 with new tariffs
• Water use limited to 50 litres per person per day, across your day of home, work, school, out-and-about etc.
• Outdoor usage of boreholes is strongly discouraged. Usage for irrigation purposes will be limited to a maximum of one hour only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, before 09:00 and after 18:00.

Still in effect from previous restrictions:

• No filling or topping up of swimming pools with municipal water.
• No use of municipal water for washing cars, watering gardens, irrigating, water features.
• No hosing down of paved surfaces with municipal drinking water.

See the level 6b water restrictions guidelines.

New National Department of Water and Sanitation guidelines around boreholes and well points have come into effect from 12 January 2018

Reducing water use

To help you remember what your maximum household water use should be under the new level 6b water restrictions see our handy guide below. NOTE: the limit of 50 litres pp/day is across home, work, school or out and about.

Remember: If you have more than four people in your household and use more than the restriction level, please apply for your monthly water quota increase in order to prevent fines and having a Water Management Device (WMD) fitted at your cost.

The City Water Map shows free-standing households that are keeping within water restriction limits. With the recent move to level 6b restrictions, we challenge our current water-saving champions to stay green and reduce use to within the new limits, and call upon all residents that have not yet made it to green, to actively save water and get onto the map.

Resources and toolkits

All Day Zero and drought-related information is available at www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater.

• 50 Litre Life calculator – a guide to calculate how much water do you use in your daily routine across home, work, school or elsewhere.
• Community Water Plan – a guide produced by the Economic Development Partnership (EDP) on how to get your community water-wise and saving.
• Day Zero Dashboard – tracking water use, augmentation projects and Day Zero. Updated every Monday.
• Day Zero and water-related FAQs – answering common questions about Day Zero and water-related matters. Updated frequently.
• Finding and fixing water leaks – water leaks are the most common reason for high water use. Find and fix leaks as a priority.
• Household water usage guide – a guide as to what your maximum use should be under level 6b water restrictions.
• Using greywater safely – be aware of the health risks associated with greywater use and how to manage them effectively.
• Water saving checklist – top tips for how to save water at home or work.
• 110% Green – a Western Cape Government initiative with resources and a list of suppliers of water saving technologies and services.
• WWF Water File – Weekly info with helpful tips to prepare for Day Zero.

Myth busting

Some have claimed that the water from the taps is unsafe to drink and needs to be boiled before use. This is not true. The municipal drinking water is regularly tested and conforms to South African National Standard for drinking water (SANS 241:2015). Our scientific laboratory and the national Department of Water and Sanitation conduct frequent quality checks. Read more here.