Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has said residents must continue washing their hands in a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and not to worry that it might be a threat to the water supply.
This comes as the weekly dams level statistics were released on Monday, showing that dams supplying the Cape metro have declined by 1,3% over the past week (9 March – 15 March 2020) to 61,3% of total capacity.
Mayco member for water and waste Xanthea Limberg said: “While mindful consumption of water is still important, the City encourages residents to proceed with diligent hand-washing practices for the benefit of our individual and collective health. Hand-washing uses comparatively less water than other activities and is not expected to pose a threat to water security.”
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wetting hands with clean, running water, turning off the tap, and applying soap for thorough washing, before rinsing as way to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Last week, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) urged consumers in the Western Cape to comply with laws and regulations around the use of illegal water - or risk hefty fines.
At the same time, residents of the province have been told to urgently explore alternate water sources, such as ground water, storm water management, recycling and desalination, in a bid to stretch water security.
Numerous resources have been made available to the public regarding Covid-19. These include:
- The NICD Hotline on 0800 029 999 operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day
- The Western Cape Provincial Government Hotline on 021 928 4102
- https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
mwangi.githahu@inl.co.za