Joburg on the verge of a water crisis

• Published date: 24 April 2024
• Author: Charlene Somduth charlene.somduth@inl.co.za
• Publication title: Post

Ravin Singh, the co-conveyancer of the Johannesburg Water Crisis Committee, said the water outages started in September last year

He said the Berea Reservoir, which pumped water into areas like Bruma, Kensington and Yeoville, was hard hit by the outages.

“Gauteng receives its bulk water from the Vaal Dam. We are also getting water that is pumped from the Lesotho Highlands Project but currently there is a delay on the second phase of the project which is only expected to be complete in 2029.”

In addition, Rand Water also sold water to the City of Johannesburg.

“Despite this, there are many areas that are left without water because of the growth in population of the city. There is not enough water for residents. Also, due to the leaks that we have in the city alone, we lose about 10% to 50% of water.”

Singh said with the mushrooming of outbuildings and increased population, the need for water had grown.

“The pipes supplying water are not big enough and cannot handle the demand. The infrastructure that we have is also not serviced or maintained properly.”

Singh said the city needed to teach residents about conserving water and look at solutions for the water crisis.

WaterCAN, a civil society organisation which ensures that residents have access to clean and safe water, believes the city is on the brink of a catastrophic water supply crisis.

Dr Ferrial Adam, an executive manager of WaterCAN, said they were concerned and alarmed that the authorities were struggling to resolve the dire water supply situation in Johannesburg.

“Rand Water and Joburg Water’s failure to adequately manage water resources has pushed our city to the edge.”

She said that the national Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water and Johannesburg Water were not communicating clearly with residents, although WaterCAN and civil society in November had established a joint forum with these authorities to address the water crisis.

“We have an established forum for the authorities to communicate with civil society and residents. It is completely frustrating that we have to chase these bodies for answers. Can they not bring this information...