{"id":93938,"date":"2024-12-11T19:44:32","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T17:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=93938"},"modified":"2024-12-11T19:44:32","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T17:44:32","slug":"watercan-criticizes-rand-waters-maintenance-plans-amid-ongoing-water-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/watercan-criticizes-rand-waters-maintenance-plans-amid-ongoing-water-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"WaterCAN Criticizes Rand Water\u2019s Maintenance Plans Amid Ongoing Water Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a> <\/em>
\n3-minute read
\n11 December 2024 | 18:50 CAT<\/p>\n

\"\"

WaterCAN slams the poor timing of Rand Water\u2019s planned shutdown amid the ongoing Johannesburg water crisis and asks for the shutdown to be reconsidered or alternatives to be explored to mitigate disruptions.<\/p><\/div>\n

Amid a mounting water crisis in Johannesburg, civil society organization WaterCAN has raised concerns over Rand Water\u2019s scheduled maintenance at the Eikenhof and Swartkoppies pump stations. The 86-hour project, set for December 13-16, is expected to disrupt water supply for thousands of residents, drawing criticism for its timing and transparency.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Radio Islam International<\/a>, WaterCAN\u2019s Dr Ferrial Adam emphasized that while infrastructure maintenance is crucial, its execution should consider the city\u2019s current water struggles. \u201cFor the past two weeks, some areas in Johannesburg have experienced intermittent water supply, with others having no water at all,\u201d said Dr Adam. \u201cWe\u2019re not against maintenance, but we are questioning the timing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rand Water\u2019s decision to proceed with the maintenance during a period of high demand, as residents grapple with scorching heat and holiday preparations, has drawn ire. Dr Adam explained that the choice of December was justified by lower city population levels but argued that ongoing water shortages and dry reservoirs should have prompted a delay. \u201cPrevious maintenance projects left areas without water for 10 to 12 days, sometimes longer. With Christmas approaching, there\u2019s no guarantee that residents will have water restored in time,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

When asked about alternatives, WaterCAN suggested postponing the maintenance until a more suitable period. However, Rand Water cited a potential R21 million loss if private contractors delayed the project, a justification Dr. Adam critiqued. \u201cWe don\u2019t even know the contractor\u2019s identity or how they were selected. At times like this, the private sector must recognize their role in society and listen to the people\u2019s concerns,\u201d she remarked.<\/p>\n

Dr Adam further highlighted Johannesburg\u2019s fragile water infrastructure, noting that reservoir leaks exacerbate recovery delays. \u201cWater is not like electricity; restoring supply requires filling reservoirs first, which could mean two difficult weeks for residents,\u201d she cautioned.<\/p>\n

WaterCAN has vowed to monitor the maintenance closely and keep the public informed. \u201cThis situation demands accountability and genuine care for residents\u2019 well-being,\u201d concluded Dr. Adam.<\/p>\n

As Johannesburg braces for further challenges, civil society\u2019s vigilance underscores the critical need for transparent and considerate water management strategies.<\/p>\n

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Dr Ferrial Adam here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read 11 December 2024 | 18:50 CAT Amid a mounting water crisis in Johannesburg, civil society organization WaterCAN has raised concerns over Rand Water\u2019s scheduled maintenance at the Eikenhof and Swartkoppies pump stations. The 86-hour project, set for December 13-16, is expected to disrupt water supply for thousands of residents, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":93939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/JHB-Water-Shortages-2-OUTA.jpg?fit=1200%2C650&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-or8","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-17 17:23:09","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93938\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}