VIEW FULL WATER RESTRICTIONS AND BY-LAW

CURRENT WATER RESTRICTIONS: PART C (Implemented by Council on 19 May 2021) - View the news 

Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality

RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF WATER

In terms of Section 4 of the Water Services Act 108 (No 108 of 1997) and Clause 31 of the Water and Sanitation Services By-Law, the following will be implemented with immediate effect:

1.       Schedule of domestic water tariffs will be as follows:

1.1.  Water usage up to including 9 Kl/m (=0.3 Kl/d) to be charged at Part B.

1.2.  Water usage above 9 Kl/m (>0.3 Kl/d) to be charged at Part C.

2.       Suggested water usage to 50 litres per person per day as per table that reflects maximum kl/month per household based on the number of people per household:

3.     Every domestic household with excessive water usage will have a water management device installed, replacing their water meter, to limit high water use.

4.    ATTP households will be provided with a water management device to replace their water meter, set at 9 kl/month.

5.   Industrial, Commercial and Institutional customers (including Schools) are required to reduce their year-on-year consumption by at least 20%. If they do not, water will be restricted with a water management device, at the consumers costs (± R100,000 to be added to their Municipal Account).

6.     Water pressure in the water reticulation system will be reduced to as low as 0.5 bar at critical points in each pressure management zone.

7.   Domestic consumers may have flow restrictor disks installed at their meters to reduce the water pressure and thus reduce water wastage and loss through leaks where necessary. Managing Agents and Body Corporates of complexes may collect flow restrictor disks from the NMBM free of charge.

8.     No use of municipal water supply is allowed to water gardens, wash cars, wash down walls or paving, top up pools, fountains, or ponds, etc.

·        Borehole water: All boreholes usage be restricted by 20% as per the directive from National Department of Water & Sanitation.

·        The use of borehole/wellpoint water for outdoor purposes, including garden use, topping up of swimming pools and hosing down surfaces, is strongly discouraged to prevent the depletion of aquifers in the current drought situation.

·        Borehole/wellpoint water should rather be used for toilet flushing.

·        Furthermore, borehole/wellpoint water must be metered and all users are required to keep records and have these available for inspection.

9.   Any potential inter-connectivity with the municipal water supply system must be avoided. A  flow meter must be installed on the raw borehole water pipeline, wastewater discharge pipeline or any other non-municipal water supply system, where measurements must be recorded monthly and submitted to the NMBM upon request.

10.  All borehole users must register with the NMBM and must abide by all relevant legislative requirements (National Water Act and NMBM By-Laws).

11.    Swimming Pools:

11.1.      No topping up of swimming pools with potable water.

11.2.        No applications to build swimming pools will be approved unless supply of rainwater, groundwater or any other non-municipal water supply to fill the pool can be proven.

12.    No use of automatic urinal flushing systems allowed.

13. NMBM will make borehole water available for non-potable (i.e. non-drinking) use in the near future. Locations will be published on NMBM website.

14.  All building contractors must use treated effluent, collected at no cost from Fishwater Flats (or any other appropriate wastewater treatment works), for all construction use other than concrete work.

15.    All car washes must be closed if they have not achieved the requirement to recycle 80% of their water or where water from non-municipal supply is used.

16.  Municipal swimming pools must be closed if they cannot be filled with suitable non-Municipal water supply.

17.    No municipal showers around recreational facilities will operate.

18.  All requirements of the Water and Sanitation By-Law (Copy on NMBM Website) will be enforced. Specific reference must be noted when connecting plumbing from alternative water supply sources.

19.    Every previous special concession falls away and reapplication must be made.

The prohibitions contained in this notice shall not apply in any case specifically exempted, in writing, by the Executive Director: Infrastructure and Engineering. Notice boards must be prominently displayed where water from sources other than the Municipality’s water supply system is used. Landowners must notify the Infrastructure and Engineering Directorate in writing of the existence of boreholes on their property including the intention to sink new boreholes.

The contravention of this prohibition constitutes a criminal offence.

 ePILogue:

Consumers are encouraged to use Municipal water sparingly. Consumers are further encouraged to make use of non-Municipal water as far and as often as possible, in accordance with legislative requirements.

Note: The above Tariffs aresubject to change in line to what Council approves. Other restrictive measures, not detailed above, as stipulated in the latest Municipal Water By-law (or as amended) still apply.