As Gauteng grapples with a catastrophic decline in water storage levels, Rand Water has sounded the alarm over excessive withdrawals by municipalities, leading to an unprecedented crisis.

The bulk water supplier has repeatedly alerted local governments of the potential for disaster, but despite numerous communications, the situation has now escalated to worrying levels.

“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,” said Makenosi Maroo, spokesperson for Rand Water.

“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.”

Rand Water has issued a dire warning to residents, stressing that water storage could soon be depleted if timely action is not taken by municipalities.

“It is essential to act now to prevent the impending disaster,” warned Maroo, emphasising that Rand Water was operating at full capacity and was unable to pump any more water into the system.

Under the limitations of its extraction licence from the Department of Water and Sanitation, the organisation cannot withdraw additional water from existing sources. The solution to this crisis requires effective water conservation and demand management.

Maroo pointed out that municipalities must address the physical losses identified in the No Drop report, which highlighted a staggering 33% in wastage. Repairing leakages, enforcing by-laws, and tackling illegal connections are critical steps needed to avert a complete system collapse.

Residents have been feeling the brunt of this crisis, with many living in Soweto, Linmeyer, and other areas of Johannesburg experiencing severe water shortages for days on end.

The ongoing heatwave has only exacerbated the dire situation. Complaints regarding the unavailability of water tankers and the absence of municipal support have flooded in.

In a bid to tackle the growing crisis, municipalities, such as the City of Tshwane, have started advising residents of the need to conserve water.

Spokesperson Selby Bokaba said: “Despite our numerous requests for reduced consumption, we are seeing week-on-week high use of water by both residents and businesses. This behaviour is putting the city’s bulk water system under severe strain and may lead to its eventual collapse.”

Bokaba further noted that Rand Water supplies a staggering 79% of Tshwane’s water. The city is reportedly consuming 18% more than its licence agreement allows, pumping an unsustainable 800 million litres of water daily.

With such escalating consumption rates, Bokaba cautioned that unless significant change occurs, water restrictions would be raised imminently to level 2 or potentially higher, leading to increased costs for consumers.

Political tensions have emerged in the face of this crisis, with DA MP Stephen Moore criticising local leaders for their lack of decisive action.

“With Rand Water announcing their entire system is in crisis, we can no longer afford absentee mayors who are not taking this situation seriously,” he declared.

Moore called for immediate solutions, urging comprehensive engagement across all affected municipalities to address what he termed a man-made crisis stemming from ineffective governance.

Johannesburg Water on Sunday said the Gauteng Provincial Government had advised about the heatwave affecting the province.

“Subsequently, there is a significant rise in water demand that is affecting various Johannesburg Water reservoirs and towers. Consequently, the City of Johannesburg has instituted level 1 water restrictions to oversee and control water usage, a measure that is enforced annually from September 1 to March 31.

“Johannesburg Water is executing essential Water Demand Management strategies to ensure the stability of all systems. Residents in various suburbs, especially those in high-lying areas, may experience low water pressure or complete water outages,” said Johannesburg Water

Attempts to get comment from the City of Johannesburg and the Department of Water and Sanitation were unsuccessful at the time of print.

The Star

ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za