New water restriction tariffs hit Cape Town: what you need to know

[Slootvreter]

Thing is that squatter camps don't have individual water points, one tap is shared amongst several families/squatters. Just an observation.

Correct, and it has been shown that the average person living in a house in the suburbs use way more water than the average squatter camp dweller. Sometimes, people's reactions to politics are as childish as politics itself.

 

[Geoff.D]

Correct, and it has been shown that the average person living in a house in the suburbs use way more water than the average squatter camp dweller. Sometimes, people's reactions to politics are as childish as politics itself.

So your point is? Must we all go and live in squatter camps? Do away with all the amenities of modern life? Water borne sewerage, washing machines, dish washers etc?

Yes there is no point in trying make this about politics. It is about people having to adjust their way of life to cope with a resource that is becoming scarce at times and adjust how we consume water. And NO artificially increasing the price is NOT the answer, as that triggers off all sorts of other economic problems that we can certainly do without.

Those of us who regularly go into the bush on safaris where the water you have access to is most of the time the water you carry with you have all learnt to adapt.

 

[Slootvreter]

So your point is? Must we all go and live in squatter camps? Do away with all the amenities of modern life? Water borne sewerage, washing machines, dish washers etc?

Yes there is no point in trying make this about politics. It is about people having to adjust their way of life to cope with a resource that is becoming scarce and adjust how we consume water. And NO artificially increasing the price is NOT the answer, as they triggers off all sorts of other economic problems that we can certainly do without.

What a way to miss a point The point is there are many people (not saying here) blaming squatters for water wastage. While water is indeed wasted there, it is nowhere near the scale of our average water use.

 

[Geoff.D]

What a way to miss a point The point is there are many people (not saying here) blaming squatters for water wastage. While water is indeed wasted there, it is nowhere near the scale of our average water use.

Well it would have helped if you said so. Anyone who has to collect water in a bucket from a communal tap quickly learns not to waste. BUT that does not excuse the practice of leaving a communal tap running.

 

[2023]

What a way to miss a point The point is there are many people (not saying here) blaming squatters for water wastage. While water is indeed wasted there, it is nowhere near the scale of our average water use.

Hard thing to measure though. Anyone got stats on water usage per suburb?

 

[Geoff.D]

Every now and then the entire Century City / Royal Ascot is without hot water, as the pressure drops below the point needed to activate the geysers. I fully expect to have no hot water in summer. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

And the problem is? The drop in incoming water pressure leads to the storage reserves on the roof of buildings not being able to keep up with the water demand from individual units. And that is probably because the developer failed dismally when specifying and installing the infrastructure for the building! And that is about cost cutting to increase profits. A large complex/high rise building is like a small city in itself. The same stoopid shortcuts many are accusing the city of taking apply equally well in this case.

 

[Slootvreter]

Hard thing to measure though. Anyone got stats on water usage per suburb?

Not going to search, but this is easy for me to imagine. Houses with two or thee bathrooms, gardens, pools, kitchens, versus shacks with communal taps.

 

[2023]

well, this was surprisingly easy to access:

April 2017:
Dunoon used 2856.66KL per day.
Edgemead used 2527.77KL per day.

Population of Dunoon (2011 according to wiki):
29,268
Population of Edgemead
9,884


At a high level calculations, Edgemead person uses 3x more water than the average Dunoon person.

 

[Geoff.D]

Not going to search, but this is easy for me to imagine. Houses with two or thee bathrooms, gardens, pools, kitchens, versus shacks with communal taps.

None of what you mention actually talks about water wasting. All of them are what constitutes reaping the benefits of hard work and economic activity.

 

[ProfA]

None of what you mention actually talks about water wasting. All of them are what constitutes reaping the benefits of hard work and economic activity.

Wasting is then a matter of opinion according to you.

 

[xrapidx]

Correct, and it has been shown that the average person living in a house in the suburbs use way more water than the average squatter camp dweller. Sometimes, people's reactions to politics are as childish as politics itself.

If you live in a suburb - you'll have to go to a monitored collection point where you'll get your water allocation, I'd imagine at this stage it won't be close to 87/L

If you live in a squatter camp - you can go and get as much water as you please. What they use it for, or how much - doesn't matter, I still seen cars being washed from the N7 off ramp on weekends.

Further, the city is going on about water, but still opening the public pools in summer?

 

[Slootvreter]

If you live in a suburb - you'll have to go to a monitored collection point where you'll get your water allocation, I'd imagine at this stage it won't be close to 87/L

If you live in a squatter camp - you can go and get as much water as you please. What they use it for, or how much - doesn't matter, I still sen cars being washed from the N7 off ramp on weekends.

We still use on average more than they waste.

 

[Geoff.D]

Wasting is then a matter of opinion according to you.

No, not at all. But assuming because people live in more affluent areas are "wasting water" is not correct either. We all "waste" water then simply because we use water for anything else except drinking and cooking, but at a different rate of wastage. But we can ensure that what we use is used for that purpose as efficiently as possible.

The shack dweller who leaves a communal tap running is wasting water.
The Person living in a suburb who runs the shower for longer than necessary is wasting water.
The person who runs a dish washer every day when not full is wasting water.
The person who washes before they have a full load for a washing machine is wasting water.
The person who showers 3 times a day is wasting water.

But because you own any of the above and use them, does not imply you are wasting water.

When the crunch comes we ALL will have to realise that the prime use of water will be for drinking and cooking - all other use will be luxuries.

 

[xrapidx]

well, this was surprisingly easy to access:

April 2017:
Dunoon used 2856.66KL per day.
Edgemead used 2527.77KL per day.

Population of Dunoon (2011 according to wiki):
29,268
Population of Edgemead
9,884


At a high level calculations, Edgemead person uses 3x more water than the average Dunoon person.

You also need to take into account that a lot of these people living in Du Noon work in said suburbs and use the water there - I've repeatedly gone over water wastage with both my gardener and domestic, who come from Du Noon.

Besides being allowed to use a bathroom/shower for personal use - I had a top loader going multiple times a day - or the gardener leaving the hosepipe running while he mows the lawn....etc

 

[Garson007]

Since when does employed = rich?

It doesn't. However, whereas the employed spend money the unemployed cannot. The unemployed are completely excluded from the economy.

 

[Garson007]

And the problem is? The drop in incoming water pressure leads to the storage reserves on the roof of buildings not being able to keep up with the water demand from individual units. And that is probably because the developer failed dismally when specifying and installing the infrastructure for the building! And that is about cost cutting to increase profits. A large complex/high rise building is like a small city in itself. The same stoopid shortcuts many are accusing the city of taking apply equally well in this case.

While builders might have taken shortcuts, I'm sure it is up to spec. The water pressure is only an issue when CoCT lowers the pressure. The HOA has taken it up with the CoCT in the past when they did lower pressure.

We don't live in high rises. We're talking four stories at best.

 

[Geoff.D]

While builders might have taken shortcuts, I'm sure it is up to spec. The water pressure is only an issue when CoCT lowers the pressure. The HOA has taken it up with the CoCT in the past when they did lower pressure.

We don't live in high rises. We're talking four stories at best.

ALL pressurized water systems will stop working when the incoming pressure drops below what is required to keep the vacuum breakers from opening.

 

[Garson007]

ALL pressurized water systems will stop working when the incoming pressure drops below what is required to keep the vacuum breakers from opening.

I'm not talking vacuum breakers. I'm talking instant electrical hot water geysers. These geysers only kick in when the pressure is high enough. Nothing to do with piping.

I.e. I can open and let the "hot" water run, without it ever actually engaging the geyser - hence cold water out of the hot tap.

 

[Geoff.D]

I'm not talking vacuum breakers. I'm talking instant electrical hot water geysers. These geysers only kick in when the pressure is high enough. Nothing to do with piping.

I.e. I can open and let the "hot" water run, without it ever actually engaging the geyser - hence cold water out of the hot tap.

Same difference. The instant heaters require a minimum flow before they will switch on . Maybe adjustable?

The only way would be to isolate the complex from the shenanigans of the council is to install a storage tank and pressure pump.

 

[Garson007]

Same difference. The instant heaters require a minimum flow before they will switch on . Maybe adjustable?

That is correct. The digital ones (not standard) do allow lower water pressure with dynamic flow rates. However, the analogue ones that comes with most of these places do not.

E.g. http://www.stiebel-eltron.co.za/instantmultithree.html

The only way would be to isolate the complex from the shenanigans of the council is to install a storage tank and pressure pump.

Yes, and hopefully the HOA is discussing this issue between themselves and CoCT.