As part of its Keep Saving Water campaign, the City of Cape Town's Water and Sanitation Department is engaging with residents who run informal car washes across Cape Town to ensure that water is used efficiently and discharged in accordance with the City's water by-laws.

During the first week of March, the Department's Water Conservation Section will embark on an awareness and education campaign as part of the National Water Week and Water Month celebrations in Cape Town.

This will include visits to car washes that were identified during a survey initiated in October 2012 where informal car washes were identified and recorded. The purpose of the survey is twofold. The first step is to establish the source of the water supplied to the car washes and to educate the users in complying with good water conservation practices and the City's water by-laws.

"As part of our commitment to building an Opportunity City which supports small business, the City is doing all that it can to assist those who run car washes to operate legally and make optimal use of water. For an informal car wash to operate within the requirements of the City's by-laws, it must be metered (separately) and the water must be discharged to the sewer and not the stormwater system. This is because car washes generate 'grey water', which must be handled carefully and can be dangerous if not disposed of correctly," said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg.

"If car washes discharge the soap and chemicals used for washing vehicles into the stormwater system, this run-off ends up in rivers and vleis and causes major ecological damage as well as an unhealthy environment - which is why the by-laws prohibit this practice," Councillor Sonnenberg added.

Ensuring that residents discharge water via the correct networks and systems provided, remains a major challenge. The City's water and wastewater by-laws are very clear: the only run-off permitted to the stormwater system is rain water and water collected from roofs via the gutters and down pipes. All other waste water and backwash from any pool must be diverted to the sewer system.

Event at the Liberty Promenade in Mitchells Plain on Saturday 2 March

To further highlight the need to conserve and use water sparingly, the City is partnering with the National Department of Water Affairs to host a special event at the Liberty Promenade in Mitchells Plain from 09:00 to 14:00 on Saturday 2 March 2013.

At the event consumers will have the opportunity to:

Learn about alternative car wash options, such as waterless applications; recycling; and water efficient applications.

Bring their vehicle for a free car wash using one of these options (on a first-come, first-served basis).

Receive information and tips on how to save water when washing vehicles, in compliance with the water by-laws.

Exhibitors will set up car wash-bays and facilities in the parking area adjacent to Morgenster and AZ Berman Roads (opposite the Medical Centre) to wash vehicles.

"Residents and car wash operators are encouraged to make use of this opportunity to learn about water-wise technologies -while ensuring that their various modes of transport are clean and in a good condition.

"I'd like to appeal to all Councillors, community leaders and operators of these facilities to work with the City's Water and Sanitation Department to find workable solutions for preventing water wastage and the illegal discharge of water used for car washing into the stormwater system," said Councillor Sonnenberg.