Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

29 October 2024

3-minute read

As water restrictions tighten across Gauteng with municipalities taking heed of Rand Water’s warnings of a looming crisis, Water Can’s Ferial Adams says that too much water is being used in ongoing hot weather.

Gauteng residents could face day zero should current conditions prevail. As opposed to Cape Town where day zero was implemented when all municipal water ran out and dams were dry, Gauteng faces a different type of restriction. With the integrated Vaal River system being approximately 76% full, water is available. However, because of infrastructural challenges, like high levels of leaking pipes, leaking reservoirs, and burst pipes, water supply falls short.

Reservoirs are spread across the city and affect areas differently. Ferial stated that “there are different systems that feed different reservoirs that feed different areas”. In Johannesburg, the Commando system that feeds major areas like Hursthill, Northcliff, Mayfair, Brixton, Emmarentia, Greenside and Parkview are often affected as well as Kensington in the East, Soweto in the South; and Alex and Midrand in the North. Water outages are staggered and do not affect these same vulnerable areas at the same time.

According to Joburg Water, of the 87 reservoirs supplying the city with water, 42 are leaking with 20 of those leaking so badly that they will need to be repaired soon. It is of utmost importance to fix the leaking infrastructure and bring it up to par but Ferial said that the level of urgency in the water department is insufficient and not enough is being done. The City of Tshwane has since rescinded their decision to close all municipal swimming pools, saying that pools will operate under stricter conditions.

Consumers need to be involved and educated to use water sparingly in order to avert a water crisis. Unfortunately, many landlords, have a lackadaisical attitude when it comes to their rental properties. Attention is not given to fixing leaks and water loss is not seen as a matter of urgency. Ferial stated that there is a degree of selfishness in how we are approaching the water crisis. People need to be more mindful about water. Since municipalities are not strong enough to enforce water cut-downs, residents’ associations across Gauteng need to be more vocal about water usage and wastage; using platforms like WhatsApp to heighten water awareness. Landlords that are negligent regarding water leaks should be exposed. Leaks should continue to be reported and residents should push for leaks to be repaired.

Listen to the full interview on the daily Round-Up with Ml Junaid Kharsany.