Lerato Mbhiza
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has expressed concern about the ongoing water crisis in parts of the province and said he summoned all leaders of the government, the four local authorities and the national government to the Province.
“I summoned all leaders of the government, the four local authorities and the national government to our province. This matter might not be our competency as a provincial government, but we will never fold our arms. We’ll enter the space and try to resolve it.
“We are also testing out resources, so where there are reservoirs, we can minimize load shedding.”
On Friday Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda assured residents that the city’s reservoir levels are steadily stabilising after large parts of the city were severely affected when a lightning strike caused a power outage to the Eikenhof Substation ten days ago.
The Eikenhof pump station is a major supply source for water to areas including greater Soweto, Roodepoort, Hursthill, Crosby and Brixton in Joburg. A second outage was also reported.
Residents and businesses were left with dry taps across 20 suburbs over the past days. The mayor said the city has an action plan in place to solve water issues.
Many residents have suffered dry taps and have had to rely on water tankers and other means for weeks now. The ongoing crisis has been blamed on sabotage and poor leadership.
A potential water supply crisis is on the cards for Gauteng metros as Rand Water’s supply system is “on the verge of collapse,” with water storage for the bulk supplier sitting at below 30%.
The warning was sent out by the City of Tshwane following a meeting with Rand Water and the metro’s provincial peers, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, over the weekend.
“The City of Tshwane held an emergency meeting… with representatives from Rand Water, City of Johannesburg and the City of Ekurhuleni to address a severe strain on the Rand Water supply system, which is on the verge of collapse.
“Rand Water’s total water storage has plummeted below 30%, necessitating immediate interventions to mitigate the crisis,” Tshwane said.
Johannesburg Water has urged residents to use water sparingly and observe level one-water restrictions, saying the system is severely constrained.
Though Rand Water is pumping and supplying, the increased demand on the entire system has resulted in reservoirs being unable to maintain capacity.
The utility said with demand outstripping supply, residents and businesses should work with the city to reduce water wastage by at least 10%.
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