Overstrand Municipality has introduced urgent water restrictions for Pearly Beach and Eluxolweni until further notice.

Despite very low dam levels and warnings about high water consumption in Pearly Beach compared to January 2023 and February 2023, water consumption continues to rise, and the reservoirs’ levels continue to decrease due to even higher water usage.

The extremely hot days experienced since the onset of summer caused the level of the Pearly Beach Dam to drop from 75% to 25%. In fact, at the current rate, this dam may run dry before the onset of the rainy season.

Overstrand Municipality is all too aware that the current situation is a cause for concern that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency for the short as well as the long term. To preserve the remaining water in the “clear water” dam for as long as possible and also in view of the upcoming school holidays and Easter Weekend, the decision was made to implement water restrictions with immediate effect, 19 February 2024.

The restrictive measures are therefore as follows:

• Gardens and lawns are not allowed to be watered with municipal water using a hose pipe or an irrigation system.
• Swimming pools are not to be filled with municipal water.
• Use of a hose pipe with municipal water to wash vehicles is prohibited.

Signage must be prominently displayed where water from sources other than the municipality’s water supply system is used for irrigation (eg well points and boreholes).

No water restrictions are applicable in the other areas of the Overstrand but the water services by-law clause 46 will remain in place, which requires that no irrigation takes place between 9:00 and 17:00 daily. This is just good practice, to limit evaporation during the generally warmest period of the day. These measures apply to Pearly Beach and Eluxolweni only.