It is a week of good news in Cape Town, with the petrol price dropping at midnight tonight, and the Level 5 water restrictions having dropped to Level 3 on Saturday. 

The petrol price was on an increasing tangent in the past few months. BusinessTech reports that 93 and 95 octane petrol will drop by R1,84 per litre to R15,24/R15,02, diesel by R1,45/R1,47 to R14,68, and illuminating paraffin by R1,33, at midnight tonight. The price decreases come from a weakening oil price and a strengthening Rand. 

The announcement two days before the beginning of December that the City of Cape Town had decided to reduce the water restrictions in our city from Level 5 to Level 3 was met with surprise, but delight at the decrease in the resultant water tariffs. Dam levels are currently at 70%. Rain is forecast for later this week as well as next week. Capetonians will hardly change their water-saving habits, built up over the past two years, as a result of the change in the water restrictions. 

The Level 3 water restrictions are summarized by the City of Cape Town below:

NEW LEVEL 3 WATER RESTRICTIONS –
SUMMARY OF KEY CHANGES: LEVEL 5 (October 2018) to LEVEL 3 (December 2018):

 Overall city water usage target increased from 500 million to 650 million litres per day.

 Personal water use limit increased from 70 to 105 litres per person per day.

 Removal of percentage reduction restrictions for commercial, industrial and other non-
residential water users. All customers must adhere to the Water By-law (2010) and
the Amendment (2018) at all times and are strongly encouraged to use water responsibly.

 Removal of Level 5 restriction measures applicable to residential properties using more than
10 500 litres per month. All residents are strongly encouraged to continue to use water wisely.

 Watering with municipal drinking water using a bucket or watering can is allowed on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays before 09:00 or after 18:00 for a maximum of one hour on those
days per property.

 Topping up or filling of swimming pools with municipal drinking water is allowed subject to the
pool being covered with a non-permeable, solid pool cover when not in use; the recovery of
backwash water; and the use of rainwater for pool topping up where practically possible.

 Vehicles, trailers, caravans and boats may be washed with municipal drinking water using a
bucket.

 Commercial car washes may use municipal drinking water subject to industry best practice water
conservation norms and the recycling of at least 50% of the water used.

 Spray parks may operate subject to strict management to minimise water use.

 Tariffs lowered to Level 3 water and sanitation tariffs.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein