Newsflash - Council Approves Amendments To Water By-Law
This is a MUST read for anyone who owns property that falls within the City of Cape Town!
Council met on 31 May 2018 and voted in favour of certain far reaching and important changes to the Water By-Law. We are awaiting confirmation from the City on when exactly these changes will be implemented. Herewith a summary of the most important changes in as much as it will affect developers and property owners:
Landlords must now keep record of consumption for each residential unit in a multi-tenant complex/block of flats, and inform the City if contraventions of water restrictions are taking place – this means water meters will have to now be installed for every unit it seems.
New developments must install water conservation and demand management systems, or alternative water systems, and these must be approved by the City before development proceeds
Miltons Matsemela Inc
June 2018
No irrigation of gardens is allowed between 09:00 and 18:00, including from boreholes and well-points. Previously no irrigation was allowed 10:00 and 16:00, and did not include borehole water.
Maximum capacity for toilet cisterns and shower head flow: Toilets are now only allowed a maximum 6 litre cistern volume (down from 9 litres), and water from shower heads must flow out at no more than 7 litres per minute (down from 9.5 litres/minute). Only when it comes time to replace toilets and showerheads due to age or malfunction must new parts that conform with the revised standards be fitted.
All pools must be fitted with a cover to avoid evaporation when not in use.
All automatic flushing cisterns fitted to urinals must however be replaced immediately with either manually operated systems or properly maintained non-manual apparatus which causes the flushing device to operate only after each use.
A prepayment meter is now an option, in addition to the WMD, as a Council water meter. While this technology is not yet at a stage of development for uptake by the City, having this item of legislation in the By-law allows the City to make use of it in the event that it becomes appropriate and necessary.