pixabay.com – swimming pool
Fury after company water delivery truck spotted filling up pools in Cape Town
This water truck has sent Capetonians into a fit of pure rage. Clean usable drinking water being used to fill up someone’s pool, in this crisis, imagine…
pixabay.com – swimming pool
While Cape Town and the Western Cape is facing a massive crippling water crisis, some water company making money out of filling up pool across the province.
IOL reports that the company called Bulk Water are using “clean, drinkable water” to refill pools. All while most Capetonians are struggling to stay within the 87 litre limit per day.
A truck was seen this week filling up a pool in Southfield, the driver even handed out pamphlets to a neighbour.
“We have to save water, and think about the future, but here are people filling up pools. How inconsiderate!”
With provincial dam levels standing at just 37,4% and level five water restrictions in place, residents are not allowed to fill up or top up their pools with standard tap water.
Even if you have a borehole, you “are encouraged not to water/irrigate within seven days after rainfall that provided adequate saturation”.
Journalists called one of the numbers on the pamphlet and were given a quote by a manager named Shay. Filling up a 30 000 litre pool in Grassy Park would cost R7000, including transportation.
“We have a 24 000 litre trailer with three compartments which hold 8000 litres. We deliver to any area in the Western Cape. We only work with cash payments. A recent fill-up we did was in Brackenfell and it was a 24 000 litre pool, the customer paid R6000,” Shay explained.
“The water is clean and suitable to drink. We get our water from a borehole and it is from private property.”
Even though the company says it uses borehole water, Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services: and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg says if the business is taking more than the domestic amount, the water is illegal.
“National government has authority over non-potable water. However, if the business is drawing a substantial amount they would have to apply for a licence from the national department of Water and Sanitation,” Limberg said.
“If this is for commercial use, they would need a licence, depending on the amount of water they are using. If the water being drawn is a significant amount beyond domestic scale, it would be illegal.”
Journalists spoke to the owner of the company who said the business was licensed, when they called back and asked for proof, the numbers went straight to voicemail.
