The eThekwini Municipality says despite recent rainfall, the current drought situation has worsened with water levels in some dams still critically low.

The level of the Albert Falls Dam has been severely affected dropping further to 19.31%.

According to the city the current demand of water from this system is exceeding the supply and it is appealing to residents to reduce water demand by 15%.

“Various outer lying reservoirs are being shut at night to build up storage for the following day to meet the targeted savings,” the municipality says.

Affected areas include those supplied by the Durban heights system which includes areas in the North, South, Central and Western regions.

The eThekwini Municipality is further urging holiday resorts and holiday makers to use water sparingly.

Water saving tips

Play your part in saving water this festive season by following these suggestions:

• Fix leaking taps or report them to local authorities immediately. A dripping tap (one drop per second) wastes up to 30 litres of water an hour.

• Do not fill up the bath tub or alternatively take a five minute shower.

• Close the tap when brushing your teeth or use water from a cup.

• Close the tap when shaving.

• Do not rinse dishes under running water. Rather fill a basin to rinse dishes.

• Avoid washing vegetables under running water; rather use a bowl to do this. The water can be reused in the garden.

• To check if you have a toilet leak, put a few drops of food dye in the cistern. If the colour slips into your bowl, you have a leak. A leaking toilet can waste up to 30 litres of water per hour.

• Hosepipe usage is prohibited during this period. Wash your car using two buckets of water. This can save up to 300 litres of water each time you wash your car.

• Wash your car on grass as this will water your lawn at the same time.

• Teach children not to waste water and engage them in water saving exercises.

• Only water your garden with grey water before 10am and after 4pm. Watering your garden while the sun is high wastes water as most of it gets evaporated into the air with the heat of the sun.

• Avoid watering on windy days as the water easily evaporates.

• Collect rain-water for irrigation purposes.