Water Restrictions

Sembcorp Siza Water has just announced that they are now implementing stricter water restrictions, mainly affecting those areas north of Durban, in order to reduce water usage by 50%

According to Sembcorp Siza Water, the Hazelmere Dam is currently at approximately 30% of capacity and continues to decline at approximately 1% every 4 days. Based on the current demand trend (and taking into the rough estimate that 15% of the dam is silted) the dam will run out of water in approximately 60 days.

Below are the measures which will be applied in addition to the current water restrictions (from the announcement by Sembcorp-Sizawater in the Courier newspaper dated June 19, 2015):

1. Each service provider will be allocated their daily quota of bulk potable water by Umgeni Water and no further supply will be provided.
2.  Sembcorp Siza Water will monitor all zones on a daily basis and those zones that are utilising in excess of the quota will be shut off in order not to prejudice zones that are achieving their savings.
3. Those consumers that are not achieving a 50% saving will be fined a minimum of R3000.
4. Restrictor Washers are currently being installed to reduce consumption and should the current restrictor not provide the required water saving, an even smaller restrictor will be installed. Consumers that tamper or remove the restrictor will have their water connection terminated and could also face prosecution.
5. Should the dam level deteriorate even further the restrictor washer will be replaced with one that allows each consumer to receive only a trickle that will equate to approximately 100 litres of water per day.
6. In the event of the dam failing, water tanks will be placed at strategic points for consumers to collect water. Please note that you will need to have your own containers to collect water. You will be informed of these via the local media and our website in due course.
7. All previous restrictions remain in place.  Visit www.sembcorp-sizawater.co.za for a full list of these as well as water saving tips.

Sembcorp Siza Water also announced that they have commissioned the drilling of boreholes, are finalising the abstraction and treatment at streams as an alternate supply, are procuring additional water tankers and tanks, are providing access to recycled water and are investigating the utilization of recycled water to supply via the water network.

WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING:

1. All residents must therefore immediately reduce their water usage to 50% of normal usage.
2. Please ensure that domestic staff are aware of the 50% reduction and that they do not run taps for more than a few seconds at a time, do not use hosepipes under any circumstances, and make every attempt to minimise water usage.
3. Do not use municipal water to top up our swimming pools. Please bear with the inconvenience in regard to the pool.
4. If you have a tenant, please ensure that they are made aware of the situation and expectation.