Cape Town winning the water war as restrictions relaxed

By John Viljoen

(Bloomberg) – Cape Town, which is recovering from the effects of the worst drought on record, has relaxed restrictions on water use by residents.

Starting Saturday, residents will each be allowed to use 105litres (28 gallons) a day, up from the current limit of 70litres, the South African city’s municipality said in a statement Thursday.

Residents were restricted to 50litres a day until Oct. 1, when curbs were relaxed as improved winter rainfall restored dam levels. Dams supplying Cape Town are at 71% of capacity, compared with 36% a year ago.

Residents queue to fill plastic water bottles at a natural water spring on the site of SABMiller Plc’s Newlands brewery in Cape Town, February 7, 2018. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg
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