Day Zero has now moved to July 9 due to a weekly drop in dam levels of only 0.5% (as compared to a 1.9% drop in 2014).
This week’s lower consumption, according to the City of Cape Town, can be attributed to the Groenland water reaching Steenbras Upper Dam last week as well as to a further reduction in Cape Town’s weekly average demand to 523 megalitres per day (compared to 1 130 in 2014).
However the Gupta property, on the corner of Monterey Drive and Dawn Avenue in Constantia, is not among those saving water and was, until recently, using over 20kl a month.
The City of Cape Town has now installed a water management device to cut off the water supply once a fixed daily allocation has been reached.
Xanthea Limberg, Mayco member for informal settlements, water and waste services and energy, confirmed the device had been fitted due to a contravention of Level 6B water restrictions.
When the Bulletin spoke to the security guard on the property, he said the Gupta family had not been to the house for months.
The property was purchased by the Gupta family in 2005 and was previously owned by Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The Bulletin has been asking for a face-to-face interview with the Gupta family since August 2017 and while their corporate communication officer did respond asking for questions they did not agree to an interview.