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What are our Water Restrictions and how do they affect your household?

Every household is limited to using 15 kilolitres of water per month.
Emergency tariffs will be charged for any household which uses more than 15kl as per the 2023/24 tariff list.
Businesses dependent on municipal water, including commercial car washes must reduce their use of water by 15% of their past 6-month average.

Large industry must reduce their use of municipal water by 10% of their past 6-month average.
Gardens can be watered any time of the day but ONLY with watering cans or buckets, no hosepipes are allowed.

The Irrigation or watering of ALL sport fields using municipal water is prohibited.
Washing of vehicles with a garden hose is prohibited. Only buckets are allowed.
Cleaning of any outside surface areas using a hosepipe is prohibited.
Filling up of swimming pools with municipal water is prohibited.
Flow-reducing devices will be installed where limits are exceeded.
Applications for exemption can be submitted to the Deputy Director Water for consideration.
Those making use of their own water must display a visible sign stating, “Own Water”.

Follow this link for Water Saving Tips and details on Restrictions

https://www.george.gov.za/civil-engineering/water/water-saving-tips/

Treated Effluent and Raw Water for irrigation or construction purposes is available and details can be requested from the Directorate: Civil Engineering Services (gvanniekerk@george.gov.za)

Report contraventions of the current Water Restrictions on 0800 424477 – fines apply.

Report all water leaks on 044 801 9262/66 or A/ h 044 801 6300 or at your nearest Area Office or Thusong Centre, email to gmun@george.gov.za  or via the My Smart City App.

Steps to check for leaks on the property:

Step 1: Stop all water use.  Close all the taps on the property and do not flush the toilet.
Step 2:  Check and record the water meter reading.
Step 3: Wait for at least 15 minutes and take another reading.  Make sure that nobody has opened a tap or flushed the toilet since the meter reading was taken.
Step 4: If there is a difference, then the leak will have to be fixed. If the number on the meter has increased, then it means that a leak has been detected and fast action will need to be taken.
Step 5: Unless it is a simple DIY job, residents are encouraged to call a plumber to fix the leak.

Three simple tests to detect a toilet leak:

  • Listen for the water trickling into the toilet bowl.
  • Press a piece of toilet paper against the inside back surface of the bowl.  If it gets wet, you probably have a leak.
  • Put 15 drops of food colouring into the toilet cistern. If after 15 minutes the water in the toilet bowl has changed colour, then there is a leak.

If you cannot afford to call a plumber to fix a serious toilet problem, use the little stopcock/angle valve tap at the base of the toilet to keep it turned off between flushes.