Letters from the community

From Maura Tabolt:

Dear Carolyn (OCA), Hudson (OBSID) and the City of Cape Town Municipality

I am a resident in Observatory and am a conscientious water saving user. We have been using grey water for flushing our toilet for some months now.

However, we have also reduced the amount of flushing we are doing - and applying the principle “if its yellow, let it mellow”.

Otherwise we would not have been able to reduce our water use as required.

My concern is that, if we use less water, but do not stop putting paper in the toilet every time we use it (and let it mellow), then our sewage pipes could become quickly become blocked and there will be no water to flush them out with.

To avoid this, for as long as possible, we have stopped putting paper into the toilet and are disposing of it by burning it. I am also encouraging all my neighbours to do the same and would really appreciate it if the OBSID, OCA and the CoCT would do the same.

This would allow us to keep the water based sewer system operating for as long possible.

However, I also anticipate that if and when there are water outages and the water is restricted to drinking water only, then it will no longer be possible to use the flush toilet systems in our houses and offices.

My question then is: what will we do regarding sanitation?

I have not heard anything in the City’s announcements about what arrangements it will make for sanitation when the water born sewerage system is no longer functioning. Are there any plans and strategies being put in place to deal with this?

I would imagine the only temporary option is going to be a regular bucket disposal system and some form of city wide collection system.

I hope that minimizing the amount of paper put into the sewerage system now will also help minimize the risk or degree to which the city’s sewerage systems will block and dry up completely and the difficulties of getting them operational again once the drought is over and water does become available again.

If that can’t be avoided then we may have to find some other kind of sanitation system in the future. Such a crisis will in effect create an opportunity for us to do so – which is probably a good idea given the long term climatic drying up that is forecast for this region.

I look forward to hearing what plans and arrangements are being put in place to deal with the sanitation issues in the city.