If you have a divine garden that needs at least 30 minutes of water twice a day, you’re pretty effed this summer.

The city council are planning to implement Level 3 water restrictions on 1 November, with other water and sanitation tariffs coming into effect from December.

From prohibiting the use of sprinkler systems and washing cars, there will even be a restriction on portable play pools this summer.

In fact, only pools fitted with a cover will be allowed to be topped up manually. From iol:

Under a directive from the Department of Water and Sanitation, the increased restrictions will also apply to West Coast municipalities including the Saldanha Bay, Swartland and Berg River local municipalities.

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said on Tuesday that the council was forced to act now to conserve the scarce resource.

Unfortunately you can’t bring in water saving measures if there is no water. So we have to bring in the water-saving measures while we still have water. I’m sure the people of Cape Town will understand we have to do it now.”

The restrictions have been triggered by the current low dam levels, which are almost 15% lower than at the same time last year – and the city has been issued a “directive from the water department to take more stringent steps to conserve water,” explained Mayoral committee member for corporate services Xanthea Limberg:

If we continue on the current way of utilising water in the city, we are at risk of having only 45 percent of our dams full. The dams that provide to the city are sitting at 62 percent.

Here are some things you need to know:

• The accompanying tariff changes will mean the current indigent grant of R115.93 per month allocated to residential properties that have a municipal valuation of up to R400 000, will be increased to R122.99.
• The restriction on the use of hosepipes and sprinklers also applies to golf courses, sports fields and parks.
• No new landscaping will be permitted at golf courses, sports facilities, parks and schools unless irrigated with non-potable water.
• All well-points and boreholes will have to be registered with the council and all properties where alternative, non-potable water resources are used, must display visible signage to that effect.
• Users who have been granted Level 2 exemptions, will have to re-apply to qualify for level 3 exemptions.

And if you have serious concerns over the future of your garden, The Cape Town Flower Show’s theme for 2016 is water-wise – so get on that.

[source:iol]