If you had not already heard or read in the news, Level 5 Cape Town water restrictions 2017 are here. As of 3 September 2017, the City of Cape Town implemented the toughest restrictions yet. With the drought showing no signs of going away, drastic measures are needed in order for the city to avoid reaching Day Zero… the day that we no longer meet the demand for water.
At Totalstay, we are working hard to ensure that our hosts and guests survive the Cape Town water restrictions 2017. Many of our properties are now water wise. Under the new Level 5 restrictions, each property may use no more than 20kl per month. Harsh fines will be issued to those who do not meet this limit. Individually, each person is allocated a limit of 87 litres per day. To give you an idea of how serious the drought is, there is a very real chance that Day Zero may become a reality if we do not start saving water.
A Guide to Cape Town Water Restrictions 2017
What exactly does that mean for anyone booking our villas, apartments and aparthotels during the Cape Town water restrictions 2017? Please note that all Totalstay guests will need to be aware of the following implications:
- Gardens may not look great during summer. As watering of gardens is no longer permitted under the Level 5 water restrictions, gardens may not look as great as they do during the rainy season. Grass might be brown, hedges may be wilting and plants might not look their best. Many of our properties have started to look at water-wise gardens that utilise drought resistant and indigenous species.
- Swimming pools may not be usable. Swimming pools require regular top ups during the hot summer months to be fully usable. With Level 5 restrictions in place, swimming pools may not be topped up with potable water, which may make them unusable.
- Short showers are recommended. A short 5 minute shower uses about 38 litres of water, while a 2 minute shower uses even less water. Baths use much more water, which is why we have removed bath plugs from all baths in all of our our properties. Try to keep your showers as short as possible and share showers if you are travelling with a loved one. Please try and understand that although we wish that we we could offer our guests long baths and showers, the water situation has made this luxury impossible
- Toilets should be flushed with grey water or left unflushed. The amount of water needed to flush a toilet is roughly 12 litres per flush. Flush only when it is needed to save a great deal of water. Remember, each person is allocated only 87 litres of water per day. That amounts to around 3 toilet flushes.
- Taps should not be left running. Brush your teeth without leaving the water running, and you will save around 7 litres per minute. Instead of your washing hands with water, we suggest using a waterless hand sanitiser that will save a lot of water each day.
- Many villas no longer offer Jacuzzis. Under the new water restrictions, Jacuzzis can no longer be topped up with potable water. The water crisis is too serious to waste any use of water that is not used for washing, drinking or cooking. As such, a number of villas will no longer have Jacuzzis. This also applies to saunas and any other luxuries that need plenty of water.
- Grey water systems may be in place at many of our properties. Rainwater tanks and grey water systems may be used to help save potable tap water. These are designed to take off some of the pressure, but please note that they are not a replacement for everyday water saving measures.
- Other water saving measures are also in place. Linens will only be changed every third day to reduce the amount of water used by washing machines. Our properties will no longer be stocked with bottled water either, as it takes three times the amount of water to produce a single bottle of bottled water. Instead, we encourage our guests to drink tap water as needed.
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We understand that many guests will find the current Cape Town water restrictions 2017 limiting, frustrating and more than a little inconvenient. We know that our guests have been dreaming of enjoying a rewarding honeymoon, holiday or even a business trip, and not being able to use swimming pools or baths is extremely inconvenient. Because we are committed to doing everything in our power to save water, we invite our guests to join us as we implement these water saving strategies.
If you have any questions at all, please contact us. Otherwise, we hope that you stay patient while we all do our best to survive Cape Town water restrictions 2017.