The proposed drought charge
is likely to be scrapped by the City of Cape Town, as a new punitive tariff could
be passed on Friday for those using more than 6000 litres per month.
Cape Town mayor Patricia de
Lille today made the announcement to the media.
“The crisis has reached a new
severity, necessitating a series of new emergency measures. We can no longer
ask people to stop wasting water. We must force them. We have listened to the
comments of thousands of residents asking for fairness. Council will on Friday
be voting on a punitive tariff that will charge residents exponentially higher
rates for water usage above 6 000 litres per month,” she said in a statement.
The proposed punitive
measure, if passed will be as follows:
For consumption of 6000
litres per month, the current water tariff for the total household bill
increases from R28 to R145.
For 10 500 litres per month,
it increases from R109 to R390.
For 35 000 litres,
consumers will now pay R6 939 per month, from the previous R1 050, and for 50
000 litres per month R20 619, from R2 888.
De Lille said the City has
reached a point of no return and that Day Zero on 21 April is now very likely.
“Despite our urging for
months, 60% of Capetonians are callously using more than 87 litres per day. It
is quite unbelievable that a majority of people do not seem to care and are
sending all of us headlong towards Day Zero,” she said.
She added that provision
will be made for households larger than four people to ensure that they are not
unfairly penalised.
Residents can contact the
City beforehand on water@capetown.gov.za
or enquire at their nearest walk-in
centre.
De Lille said the proposed
Drought Charge is likely to be dropped after a massive outcry from Capetonians that
it was unfair.
“I understand that response
and it has personally been a tough lesson for the City,” she said.
Furthermore, the City will
be moving to level 6B restrictions with a new limit of 50 litres per person per
day to make up for the many months of missing the 500 million litres per day collective consumption target.
The new restrictions will come into effect on 1 February 2018.
“The new daily collective
consumption target is now 450 million litres per day. This will be in place for
150 days after which the City will reassess the situation. Level 6B
restrictions will also limit irrigation using boreholes and well points.”
In it advanced planning for
Day Zero, approximately 200 sites having been assessed as collection points for
water, she said.
“The City will be
announcing everyone’s local collection points from next week so that
communities can begin preparing for that eventuality. We will also be making
detailed Day Zero contingency plans available soon to answer all questions that
residents and businesses might have.”
