JOHANNESBURG – With the City of Cape Town being confronted with the very real possibility of running out of water soon, and Nelson Mandela Bay water levels also at critically low levels, we took a look at how much water a person uses on average per day. 

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Using the City of Cape Town’s water usage calculator, we found that taking one 10-minute shower in Cape Town means you have already exceeded your limit for the total amount of water you are allowed per day. 

In order to meet the city’s imminent limit of only 50 litres a day, an individual would need to limit themselves to one shower of no longer than 2 minutes, flushing the toilet only once per day, washing dishes or doing laundry in a sink only once a day,  only washing their hands twice a day, and cooking only once. This will leave one bowl of water for one medium-sized pet, for the person to brush their teeth twice and still drink eight glasses of water (2 litres) per day. 

The water calculator reveals if one were to take a 10-minute shower, it would use 100 litres of water – twice a person’s daily water allowance from February. 

Each flush of the toilet uses 9 litres, as does doing one sink of dishes. 

Washing your hands requires 3 litres each time.

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The City of Cape Town has provided residents with a number of water-saving tips, including turning off the water while washing your hair. 

eNCA