ADVERTISEMENT

Cape Town Plans $248 Million for Water as Curbs Rise, Times Says

Cape Town Plans $248 Million for Water as Curbs Rise, Times Says

(Bloomberg) -- The South African city of Cape Town will spend 3.3 billion rand ($249 million) to increase water supply and will tighten usage restrictions as the region continues to suffer through a drought, the Times reported.

Cape Town will put 2 billion rand toward emergency measures to raise supply and a further 1.3 billion rand over the next two years on groundwater extraction and desalination plants, the Johannesburg-based newspaper reported, citing Mayor Patricia de Lille.

Groundwater-extraction facilities are planned in Atlantis, Silverstroom, the Cape Flats, Cape Peninsula and Hottentots Holland, while desalination plants will be set up at Koeberg, Silverstroom, Woodbridge Island, Granger Bay, Hout Bay, Red Hill, Strandfontein, Monwabisi and Harmony Park, it said. A desalination barge will be stationed in Cape Town’s harbor.

The new prescribed usage limits will be “far less” than the 87 liters (23 gallons) allowed for each person daily, the Times said, citing Xanthea Lindberg, the mayoral committee’s member for utilities. The measures will provide 200 million liters of water daily, or 40 percent of the city council’s target.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ana Monteiro in Johannesburg at amonteiro4@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rene Vollgraaff at rvollgraaff@bloomberg.net.