KNYSNA NEWS - The manner in which the municipality is implementing water restrictions is likely to be amended shortly, after the issue was discussed at a mayoral committee meeting held on Thursday, July 27.
As this affects every one of us we feel that it is important to tell you what the proposals are and what Great Knysna residents will, in all likelihood, be facing in the future.
It is recommended that the following new levels and penalties be implemented:
Level 1: when storage reserves are greater than or equal to 60%. The tariff will remain normal but water restrictions will apply. Watering of gardens will be allowed for one hour three days per week, and permission must be obtained from the director of technical services before a swimming pool is filled or maintained. Anybody not complying will be penalised.
Level 2: when storage reserves are between 40 and 60%. A 50% surcharge will be levied on domestic tariff for all consumption exceeding 20kl per month. (Stage 1 drought tariffs.) No hosepipes may be used for gardening and irrigation systems. Businesses must reduce their consumption by at least 20% on the previous year’s monthly average. The construction industry, car washes and nurseries must use alternate water sources and violations will be penalised.
Level 3: when storage capacity is between 30 and 40% and triggers stage 2 drought tariffs. A 75% surcharge will apply to all consumption over 20kl per month. Except for the fact that businesses are expected to reduce consumption by 30% on the previous year’s monthly average, the same restrictions as level 2 apply. Health and correctional service facilities must install their own tanks which will be filled by municipal tankers and flow restrictors will be installed in all standpipes.
Level 4: when the storage capacity drops to between 20 and 30%. At this level water shedding will commence. Domestic consumption is restricted to 6kl per month and businesses must reduce their consumption by 50% on their previous year’s monthly average. In accordance with stage 3 drought tariffs, a surcharge of 100% will apply in respect of overconsumption.
Level 5: when storage capacity drops below 20%. This will result in no municipal water being available and 20l per person per day will be able to be collected from designated water points.
At present, level 4 restrictions should be implemented if the water supply dwindles to between 15 and 21 days.
Queries to the municipality as to whether this is a possibility based on the reported figure of 19 days of water left have gone unanswered as has the question as to how much warning we, the residents, will get of a proposed change in water restriction level.
ARTICLE: JULIE JEFFERYS, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD CORRESPONDENT
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