Marvin Charles
The City Of Cape Town has urged the agriculture sector to reduce its water consumption by 60%. The City said on January 1, they will be be implementing Level 6 water restrictions.
“The national department of water and sanitation has imposed a 60% restriction and saving target on the agricultural sector.” Mayoral Committee member for water and sanitation Xanthia Limberg said.
The City announced earlier this month it intends to implement level 6 water restriction and implement a water levy for residents. Just this week they put forward a proposal to impose 6 months jail time to repeat water-wastage offenders. Currently dam levels are sitting at 34,2%.
“I think that we are caught between a rock and a hard place. We understand that we in a water crisis but the impact will be devastating,” Standing committee chairperson on economic opportunities, tourism, and agriculture Beverley Schäfer said.
Earlier this year Schäfer said the drop in the production of produce could lead to 17 000 job losses in the agricultural sector. She added that the new reduction could lead to job losses.
“We are really concerned for many people who also rely on the agriculture for work,” she said. Schäfer added that she will be looking into calling the department and the city to a committee hearing.
The City announced earlier this week that water consumption has increased from 611-million litres per day last week to 628 million-litres per day this week. The City’s augmentation plans are currently at 50% completion, and has moved Day Zero forward to 18 May 2018. Day Zero will arrive when dam levels reach 13,5%.
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