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Think water

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Cape Town is experiencing a serious water shortage due to insufficient rainfall and fast declining dam levels. We all need to THINK WATER.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater ">thinkwater </a>

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Residential water restrictions explained

Insufficient rainfall and fast declining dam levels have led to the current drought in Cape Town. We need to work together to change the way we use our water

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/residential-utility-services/residential-water-and-sanitation-services/Residential-water-restrictions-explained">Residential-water-restrictions-explained</a>

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Day Zero Dashboard

Day Zero- the day we may all have to queue for water.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/dayzerodashboard" target="_blank">dayzerodashboard</a>

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Commercial water restrictions explained

Insufficient rainfall and fast declining dam levels have led to the current drought in Cape Town. We need to work together to change the way we use our water

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/work%20and%20business/commercial-utility-services/commercial-water-and-sanitation-services/Commercial-water-restrictions-explained">Commercial-water-restrictions-explained</a>

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Water saving toolkits

To help you spread the word, we have created water-saving information packs for your home, business and hospitality industry.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/education-and-research-materials/graphics-and-educational-material/water-saving-resources">water-saving-resources</a>

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Safety and security resources

The City offers a variety of free interesting and educational material relating to safety and security.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/education-and-research-materials/graphics-and-educational-material/safety-and-security-education-resources" target="_blank">safety-and-security-education-resources</a>

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Play and get active

Keeping our kids active through sports and outdoor play is a great way to channel their energy.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/family-care-and-support/caring-for-your-child/play-and-get-active" target="_blank">play-and-get-active</a>

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Volunteer at a City nature reserve or in a biodiversity programme

The City is accepting non-paid volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks in our nature reserves.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Get-involved/Volunteer/volunteer-at-a-city-nature-reserve-or-in-a-biodiversity-programme" target="_blank">volunteer-at-a-city-nature-reserve-or-in-a-biodiversity-programme</a>

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Loadshedding

Loadshedding power outages generally last for about 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one area being affected at a time during stage 1 and four areas being affected at a time during stage 3b.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/residential-utility-services/residential-electricity-services/load-shedding-and-outages">load-shedding-and-outages</a>

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Corporate scorecards
Dam levels
Get involved
Comment on the proposed draft contracts relating to the appointment of panels of home building contractors

Kommetjie Road Project making headway

The City of Cape Town has made good progress with the Kommetjie Road Project, one of our flagship interventions to relieve congestion in the Kommetjie area in the Far South.

<span><p>‘Residents from Kommetjie and Noordhoek would’ve noticed that we’ve started placing the asphalt layers on the newly constructed lanes along Kommetjie Road and Ou Kaapse Weg last week. This marks an important milestone as the groundwork from the past 24 months or so is finally becoming visible, and hopefully this also gives the locals some satisfaction for enduring the inconvenience that goes with roadworks in general,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Alderman Felicity Purchase.</p><p>The Kommetjie Road Project is part of the City’s Congestion Management Programme and is due for completion by the end of 2019, pending any unforeseen challenges. The budget for this project is R194 million and approximately R100 million has been spent to date.<br></p> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Kommetjie1.jpg" alt="" style="width:871px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>‘Apart from the improvements to the road infrastructure and the congestion relief this project will bring, one of the current and most important benefits is the temporary jobs that have been provided to local residents as part of the contract. Up to 45 local residents are currently employed as temporary workers on this project. In fact, since this project started in October 2016 to date, more than R5,1 million has been paid to men and women from the area who have been employed as temporary workers. </p><p>‘Local subcontractors have also benefitted – to date over R2,1 million has been spent on the procurement of goods and services from local businesses. One can never overemphasise the boost that comes with R7,2 million. Not only is this an injection to the local economy, it also empowers residents with jobs, and with jobs comes dignity,’ said Alderman Purchase. </p><p>About 4 000 tons of asphalt will be placed by the start of the builders’ holiday on 14 December 2018. </p> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/kommetjie2.jpg" alt="" style="width:839px;" /> </figure></span><span><p></p><p>‘Motorists won’t be allowed to use the new lanes as yet. These will be barricaded during the festive season and the contractor will do regular inspections to ensure compliance. The traffic will be shifted to the new lanes only once we’re ready to start with the rehabilitation of the existing lanes a few months into 2019,’ said Alderman Purchase.</p><p><strong>All-in-all the Kommetjie Road Project entails roadworks covering a distance of approximately 3,5 km:</strong></p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">the upgrade of Kommetjie Road (M65) to a four-lane dual-carriageway between Capri Drive and Corsair Way, and the rehabilitation of the existing roadway</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">the upgrade of Ou Kaapse Weg (M6) to a four-lane dual-carriageway between Noordhoek Main Road and Kommetjie Road, and the rehabilitation of the existing roadway</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">the upgrade of the intersection at Ou Kaapse Weg and Silvermine Road to improve the sight distance for road users</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">the upgrade of the four signalised intersections with additional turning lanes to improve the capacity and flow of traffic at Kommetjie Road and Capri Drive; Kommetjie Road and Ou Kaapse Weg; Ou Kaapse Weg and Buller Louw Boulevard; and at Ou Kaapse Weg and Noordhoek Main Road</div></li></ul> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/kommetjie3.jpg" alt="" style="width:2135px;" /> </figure></span><p>The preparations for the rehabilitation of the existing lanes will commence once the contractor returns from the builders’ holiday.</p><p>‘Part of the project is to create walkways for pedestrians along Kommetjie Road and Ou Kaapse Weg as many residents from this area can’t afford public transport, and walk to their destinations. The new roads will also have shoulders that are wide enough for cyclists,’ said Alderman Purchase.</p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p>

2018-11-18T22:00:00Z

Traffic officers recover hijacked vehicle

The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service arrested 131 suspects in the last week and issued 8 299 fines for various offences

<p>The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service arrested 131 suspects in the last week and issued 8 299 fines for various offences.</p><p>Of those arrested, 120 were motorists caught driving under the influence of alcohol at various roadblocks across the metropole. The highest number of arrests at a single roadblock occurred in Table View on Thursday 15 November 2018 where 22 motorists were taken into custody.</p><p>‘We’re heading into the period of year-end parties and general festive season merriment. My appeal to members of the public is to be mindful of their behaviour and to drink responsibly. There are so many different options available to us these days and I commend those people who have changed their behaviour by using private taxis or designated drivers to get to and from their destinations. However, the reality is that far too many people are still taking chances; often with devastating consequences,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p>In Sea Point on Sunday 18 November 2018 officers made nine drunk driving arrests. The highest reading was nearly five times the legal limit at 1.12mg. They also suspended 31 vehicles deemed unroadworthy as a result of illegal modifications and not displaying registration plates, among others. </p><p>During the course of the afternoon, traffic officers were alerted to the hijacking of a Ford ST in Camps Bay. The vehicle was spotted in Sea Point and a high speed chase ensued all the way to Salt River, where the suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.</p><p><strong>The City’s Metro Police Department recovered two more stolen vehicles during their operations in the last week:</strong></p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">On Wednesday 14 November 2018 officers recovered a stolen motorcycle at a vehicle checkpoint in Salt River and arrested two suspects, aged 36 and 48.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The day before, the Metro Police Camera Response Unit helped a tracking company recover a stolen panel van in Kuils River. A 23-year-old suspect was arrested in that incident.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Officers also arrested 15 suspects for drunk driving, reckless and negligent driving and for the possession of drugs.</div></li></ul><p>‘The licence plate recognition technology available to us, coupled with an increase in vehicle checkpoints help us to track down stolen vehicles or those that have been used to commit crimes. It is often the best way to help track and identify criminals, so we remind members of the public to be mindful of such details like the make and model of vehicles and the licence plate details where possible. </p><p>‘It is also worth noting that while this is a time of merriment for most, criminals are looking to exploit the fact that more people tend to let their guard down. If anything, we need to be more vigilant than ever over this period to avoid falling victim to criminals,’ said Alderman Smith. </p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p>

2018-11-18T22:00:00Z

Windy, hot weather contributes to 1% dam level decline

The levels of the dams which supply Cape Town have declined by 1% over the last week to 72,4 % (2017: 36,3%) of storage capacity

<p>The levels of the dams which supply Cape Town have declined by 1% over the last week to 72,4 % (2017: 36,3%) of storage capacity. </p><p>The average water consumption increased slightly by 9 million litres per day to 558 million litres per day for the past week. </p><p>It is important that consumption remains within this range while we wait for the water assessment from the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). </p><p>The City encourages water users to continue to be water-wise and to build on the good conservation practices they adopted to beat the drought. </p><p><strong>Level 5 restriction don’ts</strong></p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">No watering/irrigation with municipal water is allowed. Nurseries or customers involved in agricultural activities, or those with gardens of historical significance, may apply for exemption</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">No topping up (manual or automatic) of swimming pools with municipal drinking water is allowed</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">No washing of vehicles, including cars, taxis, trailers, caravans or boats allowed with municipal drinking water</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">No washing or hosing down of hard surfaces with municipal water</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The use of municipal drinking water for ornamental fountains or water features is prohibited</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">All private swimming pools must be fitted with a cover</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The use of any portable or temporary play pools is prohibited</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Should borehole/well-point water be used for outdoor purposes, including garden use, topping up of swimming pools and hosing down of surfaces, it should only be done for a maximum of one hour on Tuesdays and Saturdays before 09:00 and after 18:00. However, the City discourages the use of this water for these purposes to prevent the over-abstraction of aquifers</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The operation of spray parks is prohibited</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">No new landscaping or sports fields may be established except if irrigated only with non-drinking water</div></li></ul><p> <br>Please visit <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater</a> for all water-related information, such as the Level 5 guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions. </p><p> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p>

2018-11-18T22:00:00Z

Bellville Library celebrates centenary

The City’s Bellville Library will be celebrating its centenary with a range of events next week which caters for its 11 495 patrons who range in age from five months to 91 years old.

<span> <p> The City’s Bellville Library will be celebrating its centenary with a range of events next week which caters for its 11 495 patrons who range in age from five months to 91 years old. </p> <p>Bellville Library came into service in 1918 and was first housed in a building in Durban Road on the banks of the Elsies Kraal River with members required to pay an annual subscription fee.</p> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Bellville%20Libraryx600.jpg" alt="" style="width:948px;" /> </figure></span> <span> <p>A free public library service came to Bellville in 1964 in what is now Kruskal Avenue, but 25 years later the present library in Elizabeth Park was built. There is still some of the Kruskal history left, as some of the shelves are still being used in today's Bellville Library.</p> <p>'Bellville is one of our flagship libraries and it is truly a beacon within the community. It is more than just a space for books and provides a place where knowledge can be promoted and where residents can interact, learn, hone skills and acquire new hobbies. All libraries play a significant role in our lives and help to shape our world view. Bellville has also shown us that librarians are not just your original search engines, they're also innovators,’ said Alderman Smith.</p> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/DSC_0081x600.jpg" alt="" style="width:800px;" /> </figure></span> <span> <p>Four years ago, library patrons expressed frustration due to the increasing pressure for parking space within the Bellville CBD. In order to mitigate against a decline in the use of the library, staff worked together and introduced a takeaway service which makes getting your books as easy dropping by and picking up your order.</p> <p>When the patron comes to collect their takeaway, they can simply stop in front of the library and pop in to information (which is right at the entrance) where the books will be issued to them, without encountering any parking hassles. Loan items are only issued on production of a library card. </p> <p>The drop box, which is part of the service, allows patrons to return material when convenient and has been a hit, especially over long weekends. The box is located inside the library doors but a slot allows patrons to return items after hours.<br></p> <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/DSC_0138x600.jpg" alt="" style="width:800px;" /> </figure></span> <p>The Early Literacy Play Space in the children's department at the library offers a stimulating, interactive play area with a play kitchen and farmer’s market stand, block play area, and puppet theatre.</p><p>The library's ReadySetRead reading programme encourages young children to read 100 books with their parents or teachers for which they receive a certificate and prize. The Bookbuddies reading initiative pairs young people with younger children to improve both spelling and literacy. In addition, the library supplies a selection of books in a crate and delivers it to crèches and preprimary schools to encourage reading in the classroom through their Books-to-Go service.</p><p>‘Bellville is one of our top circulating libraries with more than 389 955 different items accessed by patrons annually. The library has a stock of 109 794 items and it's the place where the community gets together to spend time empowering themselves. Time spent at the library, whether it is to read a book or newspaper, to search for employment, or just to relax, is never wasted. The Bellville Library has become a landmark and a space which facilitates cultural and artistic activities, contributing to a community that is well-rounded and grounded,’ said Alderman Smith.</p><p>Other libraries which celebrated milestones this year include Durbanville (45), Tygervalley (30) and Kensington (25).</p><p>Some of the activities that are planned for the Bellville celebrations next week include the launch of an online book club, a high tea, and a zero waste fashion show.</p><p>For details about library activities, please call <a>021 444 0300</a> or email <a href="mailto:Bellville.Library@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank">Bellville.Library@capetown.gov.za</a>.</p><p> <br> <strong>End</strong><br></p>

2018-11-15T22:00:00Z

All City online services and applications

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Top City Connect services

Service Requests/Report a Fault (C3)

Apply for exemption from water restrictions

All water users are encouraged to save water and adhere to water restrictions, but exemption is approved in special circumstances.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Municipal-services/Water-and-sanitation/Apply-for-exemption-from-water-restrictions">Apply-for-exemption-from-water-restrictions</a>

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Saving water in the home

Water is a precious resource and since we are in the midst of a serious drought we all have to learn how to use it carefully. Every action each of us takes to save water in our home makes a difference!

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/greener-living/water-wise-in-the-home/save-water-in-the-home">save-water-in-the-home</a>

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Alternative water sources for the home

The City is promoting the responsible use of alternative water, including grey water, rainwater, and groundwater from boreholes/well points.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/greener-living/water-wise-in-the-home/alternative-water-sources-for-the-home">alternative-water-sources-for-the-home</a>

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Saving water in your business or organisation

Water is a precious resource and since we are in the midst of a serious drought we all have to learn how to use it carefully. Every action each of us takes to save water makes a difference!

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/work%20and%20business/commercial-utility-services/commercial-water-and-sanitation-services/saving-water-in-your-business-or-organisation">saving-water-in-your-business-or-organisation</a>

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Alternative and recycled water sources for your organisation

The City is promoting the responsible use of alternative water sources that help to minimise the amount of drinking water used from our dams, which is important during a drought.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/work%20and%20business/commercial-utility-services/commercial-water-and-sanitation-services/alternative-and-recycled-water-sources-for-your-business-or-organisation">alternative-and-recycled-water-sources-for-your-business-or-organisation</a>

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Apply for replacement wheelie bin

The City will replace or repair a damanged or stolen wheelie bin free of charge.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Apply/Municipal-services/solid-waste/Apply-for-replacement-wheelie-bin" target="_blank">Apply-for-replacement-wheelie-bin</a>

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Pay and renew your vehicle licence

There are a number of different options you can use when paying for and renewing your vehicle licence renewal.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Pay/Driving-and-vehicles/Vehicle-licences/Pay-your-vehicle-licence" target="_blank">Pay-your-vehicle-licence</a>

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Dam levels

The dam levels are critical for Cape Town’s water supply and are a key contributor to the Day Zero water dashboard

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/residential-utility-services/residential-water-and-sanitation-services/this-weeks-dam-levels">this-weeks-dam-levels</a>

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Water map

The City of Cape Town’s water map provides information on household water use, treated effluent collection points and water pressure management zones.

<a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/residential-utility-services/residential-water-and-sanitation-services/cape-town-water-map">cape-town-water-map</a>

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