Katlego Sekhu
Rand Water recently released a statement expressing concern over declining water storage levels throughout Gauteng Province due to excessive water withdrawals by municipalities.
The organisation has repeatedly warned municipalities in Gauteng about this potential crisis.
“We have communicated through letters, held meetings with many municipalities, and engaged in discussions at Gauteng’s Intergovernmental Governance Forum and the Gauteng Water Imbizo. Unfortunately, the crisis we sought to prevent has now materialised. The water supply systems in Gauteng, including Rand Water reservoirs, are critically low, and the situation is anticipated to worsen with the ongoing heat wave,” said Rand Water.
“Rand Water would like to alert communities, particularly in Gauteng, that water storage could soon be depleted if municipalities do not implement our recommendations. It is essential to act now to prevent the impending disaster.”
Rand Water emphasised that it is operating at full capacity and cannot pump additional water into the system.
“Due to the limitations imposed by the organisation’s extraction license from the Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water cannot extract more water from existing sources. The only viable solution to address this issue is through Water Conservation and Demand Management,” the organisation stated.
In light of this, Rand Water advised municipalities to reduce the physical losses of 33% identified in the No Drop report, repair leaks, enforce by-laws, and address illegal connections.
Additionally, Rand Water reminded consumers that the organisation is a bulk water supplier; therefore, any water shortages should be reported to the respective municipalities, as the organisation (Rand Water) is not responsible for water distribution within municipalities.
Drive 959 recently spoke to an Environmental Activist at WaterCan, Dr Ferrial Adam, about how severe the water crisis in Gauteng is, and if a day zero is likely or not.
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