Drought-stricken Cape Town has plans to impose a 19.25% tariff hike on water and sanitation after July. This was according to the city’s draft budget for the 2017/18 financial year which was announced last Wednesday.

There is also a possibility that the city’s free-water-for-all policy could be done away with.

The increase in tariffs was said to cover the investment in projects to ensure water security.

Currently 6kl of water is given free to households around the city, however after July only households worth R400,000 and less will benefit from this.

Regarding sanitation, the budget also proposed the discontinuation of the city’s 4.2kl free sanitation service to properties worth more than R400,000.

The budget also proposed the discontinuation of the city’s 4.2kl free sanitation service to properties worth more than R400,000.

This is in an effort to continue severely reducing water usage across the city. Mayor Patricia de Lille said usable water is currently at 17.3%.

The drought has severely impacted the economy of the city and was very influential in the drafting of the budget.

Johan van der Merwe, finance mayoral committee member, said the tariff increase would mainly affect residents who fail to comply with water restrictions.

“Only those who are using in excess of 50kl will see an increase of 19.25% in July‚ if the proposed rates are approved in May‚” he said.

Emergency water-supply projects

De Lille said the city is considering the construction of emergency water-supply schemes including drilling boreholes into the Table Mountain Group aquifer.

A small scale desalination plant is also being contemplated.

“In the event there is another winter of below-average rainfall‚ the city will be expanding and accelerating the abovementioned emergency schemes even further‚” de Lille said.

She added that the projects would cost the city R315-million over the next three years.

Water restrictions ease in other parts of SA

While the Cape continues its battle with access to sufficient water, other cities around the country have been fortunate enough to lift water restrictions.

In mid-March water restrictions were lifted in parts of Gauteng. By the end of March, Ekurhuleni had lifted its restrictions, however the city urged residents to continue using water sparingly.

Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe said they urged residents and businesses to conserve water by continuing to avoid daytime irrigation between 7:00 and 17:00.

The lifting of the water restrictions has also brought punitive tariffs to an end.