City of Cape Town to lower water tariff and scrap restrictions from November

The City of Cape Town will lift water restrictions and move to a lower tariff from next month.

The City’s Mayoral Committee (Mayco) unanimously supported the move at a meeting held on Tuesday.

The water tariff will be adjusted from the second-lowest tariff to the lowest, which is the no restriction water-wise tariff level.

"Based on the first 10,500 litres of water used + 15mm meter the average bill will be R411,99 on the no restriction, water-wise tariff. This is compared to R785,38 under the Level 6B tariff at the peak of the drought", the City says.

Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato says "tariffs are set to cover the cost of providing water and sanitation."

This includes the maintenance of infrastructure and making sure Cape Town is resilient by investing in and adding new sources to its water supply and becoming a water-sensitive city, he explains in a statement.

The tariff has already been approved by Council as part of the set of tariffs for the City’s 2020/21 budget. This lowest tariff will offer residents some financial relief while ensuring we can still provide reliable water services and invest in new water sources

Dan Plato, Cape Town Mayor

The City of Cape Town has previously come under fire for keeping the water traffic in place, despite the dams filling up.

The decision to lift water restrictions and lower water tariffs come after Cape dam levels reached 100%.

The City says it also took into account expert projections indicating that dams are unlikely to drop below 50% by next winter.

It says projections also suggest that expected water usage patterns for the coming summer will be sufficient to allow the lowering of water and sanitation tariffs.

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