We get this question very often:

What About The Cape Town Water Situation?

As you may know we are in a winter rainfall climate so our rain starts sometimes even in February. But normally end of April, May, June and July.

The Day Zero, that everybody is taking about, was set for March but as we are using less water. Or let me say using water more effectively we are pushing day Zero out everyday. And everyday we are getting clever, saving more and having fun.

We are alive and well.

I can understand your concern as you have probably heard many stories regarding the water situation here.

Don’t worry; you will still get to see the mountain, swim in the ocean, visit the museums and go shopping. Cape Town is not going anywhere.

All we ask is that you are mindful of your water usage.

At this stage residents and visitors are trying their best to save water to ensure we avoid day zero.

We have quick short showers. We save water in buckets to flush the toilets with. We ensure we don’t leave taps running and rather use a cup of water when brushing our teeth. You may even see a few dirty, dusty cars and dry lawns as we stop using potable water for cleaning and gardening.

This just adds to the African adventure.

One of our manages just reported back:

The French Breeze guests enjoyed their stay at French Breeze and used the newly deployed basins and buckets for showering and remarked that it was fun to contribute to saving water.

In some cases pools have been closed in an effort to save water. We understand how this may disappoint you, but we hope it encourages you to swim in our refreshing ocean a bit more. The pool at this property is still in use at this stge.

So, relax. Save Water. Drink some wine. And have fun.

See what the CEO of SA Tourism had to say here.

Some tips I got and adapted from here:

1. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth – this can save 6 litres of water per minute.
2. When you wash dishes don’t do it under running water. Collect water in the basin and re-use as often as possible before discarding it.
3. Take care not to flush the toilet unnecessarily. Also never flush any foreign objects down the toilet as this not only creates blockages, but also wastes water.
4. Take a short shower instead of having a bath. Showers can use anything between 6 and 45 litres per minute. We have measured and we use 4 times more water bathing than when we shower. Open the taps only to rinse off soap, shampoo etc.  We even use a flat container to catch water as we shower and use this grey water for our garden.
5. Always use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher – this cuts out unnecessary washes in between.
6. A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day, or 5,500 litres of water a year. Ensure all taps are properly closed.
7. Watering any garden is restricted to certain days and only with a bucket or watering can. Hosepipes are not allowed as they use 1,000 litres of water an hour. Mulching your plants (with bark chippings, heavy compost or straw) and watering in the early morning and late afternoon will reduce evaporation and also save water.
8. Don’t waste water by running the tap waiting for it to get cold or heat up. Keep a jug of water in the fridge for drinking and be sure to catch the water in a bucket while waiting for it to heat up in the shower.
9. Pools should have a cover. I realise that covers are an inconvenience but please assist. Owners with pool covers may top their pools up. Without a cover no topping up is allowed.

We thank you for taking care.

If you have any other water saving tips for holidaymakers please share and we will update this list. Use the form below. Thanks.

Thanks.