Stage 2 Water Restrictions in Buffalo City – What this means for YOU!

Stage 2 Water Restrictions have been implemented in Buffalo City effective 1 November 2019.  Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality have released the following on how to reduce consumption by 20%… AND … the punitive tariffs for those who do not comply.

We never know the value of water until the well is dry – Thomas Fuller

STAGE 2 Water Restrictions:

1. Residents will have to get written permission from BCM to refill, or empty, their swimming pools.
2. Washing clothes at communal taps will be forbidden
3. No filling of water tanks permitted.
4. Washing of windows not permitted unless under exceptional circumstances.
5. Water must not be used to clean paved areas unless there are exceptional circumstances;
6. Fountains must be switched off;
7. Ponds may only be topped up using a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, a bucket or a watering can;
8. No sprinklers or other irrigation systems may be used;
9. Lawns and plants may only be watered from 7-10am using a hand-held hose fitted with a trigger nozzle, a bucket, watering can or a dripper system;
10. Water storage tanks, dams and lakes can only be filled or topped up with non-potable water;
11. Cars must be washed on lawns when washed in residential areas and not more than once a week;
12. Commercial car washes can wash any cars on condition they recycle the water and have an exemption allowing for use of potable water.

Tips from Cape Town

1. Flushing a toilet uses +- 14 litres per flush.  Low flush toilets use +- 6 litres per flush.  Use a bio-enzyme (i.e. Bio Tex GT 1 FF Foam Up – Available at Kemko Agencies in Bowls Road) to spray in the toilet bowl to break down urine, instead of flushing, reducing your number of mandatory toilet flushes to bowel movements only.

When you don’t really need to flush, and saving water is at the top of your “to-do” list, use a couple of sprays of our Bathroom Cleaner and let the yellow mellow without the smell or the germs.

2.  Remove bath plugs (no bathing).

3.  Bath babies and small children in tubs and use this water to flush toilets.

4.  Use an aerator or low-flow attachment on your shower and taps.

5.  Have 2 minute showers, with a bucket in the shower and use this water to flush toilets.

6.  Brush teeth using a cup half filled with water.

7.  Shave using a cup filled with water.

8.  Stretch hair wash by 1 extra day.

9.  Only do laundry when you have a full load.

10.  Only use dishwasher when full, and on conserver/water-miser cycle.

11.  When preparing food, wash fruit & veg in a bowl and use water to water plants or flush toilets.

12.  After boiling vegetables, use water to water plants or flush toilets.

13.  Capture down-pipe rain water (when it does rain) in buckets for flushing toilets.

14.  in hot weather, swim rather than shower, where possible.

Article:  Sandy Loppnow