City officials have responded to the news that the Vaal Dam is less than 70% full: Here’s your reminder about what Level 1 water restrictions mean for Johannesburg.
Local authorities in Johannesburg are keen to remind citizens that Level 1 water restrictions remain in place for the city. This comes after the Vaal Dam – Gauteng’s largest water source – dipped under 70% ahead of the usually-dry winter season.
Despite several hectic storms in 2019, the threat of climate change means that city officials are on high alert for the months ahead. Although the threat of drought is lower than what we saw for both the Western and Eastern Cape since 2017, a significant risk still exists.
The upside for Johannesburg residents is that Level 1 water restrictions are the most basic limitations of the lot. However, there are still a few everyday activities that locals will be banned from undertaking:
Level 1 water restrictions in Johannesburg – what you need to know:
- Watering your garden or plants with a hosepipe is forbidden under these rules unless you do it between 18:00 – 6:00. There’s less stress on the reticulation system at this time, meaning that green-fingered citizens have a 12-hour window to get their horticultural houses in order.
- You are not allowed to hose down paved areas with the municipal drinking supply at any time. No matter how pristine you want to keep your property, using a hosepipe to clean driveways and walk-throughs is out of bounds. You’ll have to use recycled water (otherwise known as greywater) to keep things spick and span.
- The same rules apply to the roofs of your homes and your vehicles: You cannot use a hosepipe to clean them.
- On sports fields, only the watering of cricket pitches, golf course greens and bowling greens are permitted for two hours per day, twice per week. The only exemption to this is if recycled water or private water supplies are used.
Collecting greywater
It’s hardly an abuse of your civil liberties, but you’ll just have to exercise much more caution when you’re doing your outdoor chores. There are plenty of ways to harvest your own greywater; it can be as simple as collecting your own bathwater, or even catching the run-off from the next downpour.
