Water restrictions in Pretoria have occurred multiple times over the years, usually during periods of drought or severe water shortages. Some notable instances include:
- 2016-2017: One of the most significant periods of water restrictions occurred in late 2016 due to a severe drought in South Africa. Tshwane (which includes Pretoria) implemented level 2 water restrictions to reduce consumption. Residents were required to limit non-essential water usage, such as watering gardens, filling swimming pools, and washing cars.
- 2019: Tshwane faced water shortages again, and the City of Tshwane reintroduced water restrictions due to low dam levels and high water consumption. These restrictions affected residents’ ability to use municipal water for activities such as irrigating lawns and gardens or using hosepipes for washing vehicles.
- 2022: During October 2022, the City of Tshwane experienced additional water restrictions due to capacity problems with bulk water supplier Rand Water, compounded by high temperatures and increased water demand. Residents were asked to conserve water, and measures were taken to avoid water outages across various areas, including Pretoria.
Water restrictions in Pretoria are typically tied to broader regional water supply challenges, drought conditions, and pressure on water infrastructure.
The City of Tshwane has implemented water restrictions to areas across the municipality as residents have ignored the call to use water sparingly. City mayor Solly Msimanga has announced the throttling of the city’s water supply to keep reservoirs at good levels. More Information: www.tshwane.gov.za
A month after Rand Water called on municipalities to reduce their supply of water to residents, the water utility announced a week ago that water reduction had decreased by a disappointing 2.7%.
There will be a scheduled “load-shedding” plan, while flow restrictors will be installed at high water consumption users. This can lead to some suburbs not having water for a few hours during the day as water will be rationed. Among the types of areas that will face restrictions are retirement villages, complexes and businesses.
Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane announced that users in Gauteng who ignored water restrictions faced severe penalties or even time behind bars.
The City of Johannesburg has issued 139 notices, 41 citations and 52 fines to residents found not adhering to the level 2 water restrictions. The city on Tuesday said many of these offences were picked up after tip-offs received from community members. The fines are between R1,000 and R1,500 per offence.
