As spring settles in the city, pools reopen and gardens need tending, the City Johannesburg is reminding residents of the Level 1 water restrictions that are still in place.

MMC for Environmental and Infrastructure Services, Nico de Jager said residents are reminded to reduce their water consumption patterns especially given the fact that the City’s reservoirs are still recovering from the massive outage of last week.

“Watering of gardens is not allowed between 6am and 6pm in summer months, from 1 September to 31 March and, furthermore, it is not permitted to wash paved areas and driveways using hose pipes,” he said.

Water restrictions in Joburg were partially lifted from Level 2 to Level 1 after the Department of Water and Sanitation made the announcement in the Government Gazette of 13 March last year. At the time, De Jager said that being a water-scarce country, residents should remain vigilant in conserving this resource.

In his recent statement, De Jager also said that water restrictions will be enforced by fines and urged residents to report non-compliance to Metro police’s 24/7 hotline on 011 758 9650.

Some tips that will help you save water:

Do not leave taps dripping

Wash your car on the grass. This will water your lawn at the same time

Use a watering can instead of a hosepipe

Shorten your showering time

Use a glass of water to rinse when brushing your teeth

Take shallow baths. Avoid filling your bath to a depth greater than 100mm

Re-use water to water your garden or pot plants.

To report burst pipes, leaking water meters or open hydrants, contact 011 375 5555, SMS 082 653 2143, visit www.johannesburgwater.co.za tweet @Jhbwater or visit the Johannesburg Water Facebook page.

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