JOHANNESBURG BEGINS SCHEDULED WATER OUTAGES TO COMBAT SHORTAGES

Wed 13 November 2024:

Gauteng – Starting November 14, Johannesburg residents will experience scheduled water outages from 9 pm to 4 am. These planned shut-offs are intended to reduce high water demand and ease the strain on Johannesburg’s limited reserves.

In a joint statement by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Gauteng’s Office of the Premier, the City of Johannesburg, and Rand Water, officials emphasised that the city’s water consumption levels are well above the global average, putting intense pressure on South Africa’s scarce resources.

As one of the driest countries globally, South Africa cannot sustain this high rate of consumption. Additionally, outdated infrastructure and leaking pipes waste water, worsening the shortages.

“The 2023 No Drop report issued by DWS found that water losses in Johannesburg were 35%, compared to the international norm of 15% … The No Drop report [also] found that the average consumption of water in Gauteng is 279 litres per person per day. This is 60% above the world average of 173 litres per person per day.”

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To address these challenges, Johannesburg is rolling out a series of measures focused on water conservation and infrastructure improvements. Central to this plan is transferring complete water management control to Joburg Water, allowing them to direct all revenue from water sales toward maintaining the water system and upgrading outdated infrastructure.

This structural shift aims to create a single point of accountability so that Joburg Water can tackle issues like leakage and waste more effectively.

“Gauteng’s long-term water consumption will need to be carefully managed because there are limits to which further phases of Lesotho Highlands Water Project or other water transfer projects can continue to provide additional water to Gauteng at an affordable cost.”

Additionally, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Gauteng’s government, and Rand Water are collaborating with local businesses and community leaders to promote a public awareness campaign.

Led by the newly established Platform for a Water Secure Gauteng, this campaign aims to educate residents about the importance of responsible water use and provide regular updates on water levels and conservation efforts.

“The Platform for a Water Secure Gauteng has been established to manage this campaign and, as a first step, a dashboard has been created on the DWS website to provide the public with detailed information on the status of water supply in Gauteng.”

Johannesburg’s political leaders across all levels of government have expressed confidence in these actions and are committed to ensuring swift implementation. Weekly meetings will track progress to make necessary adjustments, with a collective goal to secure Johannesburg’s water future and promote sustainable usage.

written by Thaabit Kamaar

This article originally published in Salaamedia click here