As if the drought is not bad enough‚ the City of Cape Town is having to battle against thieves stealing from aquifer drilling sites‚ resulting in “delays of weeks at a time” to bring more water online.

The city said in a statement on Sunday it is something that it can “ill afford”. Tools‚ batteries‚ vehicles and any materials considered possible scrap is being targeted by thieves. “It is incredibly frustrating that even such crucial work is not immune from these destructive elements in our society‚” Water MMC Xanthea Limberg said.

“It is not possible to reliably say how much water has been lost‚ but in this time of scarcity any water lost due to theft and vandalism is too much.”

According to the City over R5-million worth of fire hydrants‚ water meters and valves have been damaged since July 2017.

Limberg called on citizens to report vandalism to the City.

Residents can report incidents of vandalism or theft to the City of Cape Town by calling 0860 103 089