Here are the questions the City Times sent for comment and the response by Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe:
What is the average response time for the EMM to attend to water leaks?
“The response time for repairs to water leaks is 24 hours. This time is measured on the E-MIS system and is monitored continuously.”
How does this compare to the 48-hour response the municipality set itself after the introduction of a rapid response team last year?
“This is less than the rapid response target by 24 hours. The rapid response team was formed to clinically respond to critical areas on the service delivery shortcomings.”
Is this rapid response team achieving any success in Benoni with regard to cutting down on the time it takes to respond? Please elaborate.
“The rapid response team was a special mayoral project led by the MMC to respond to other service-related shortcomings. This was to augment the standard response time set on the E-MIS system.”
Please explain the phenomenon of why people are experiencing weak water pressure when there is load shedding? Apparently the water reservoir which feeds Crystal Park has a diesel motor which has to be switched on manually whenever there is load shedding. According to a councillor, this usually takes an hour, which means water in the reservoir reaches a low level, which affects water pressure. Please comment on this.
“In case of load shedding, the diesel pump automatically kicks in to augment supplies, not to maintain the existing water pressure when power is on. This is to ensure the minimum water supply to affected areas until the power is back on.
Please mention which suburbs in Benoni are fed from which reservoirs and where these reservoirs are?
Supply areas are zoned in terms of our supply zones and each reservoir may be set to supply different zones. The information on the operations of reservoirs and their supply zones are deemed as strategic sensitive information.
How do the pumps at the various reservoirs feed water into the reservoir during load shedding?
Through diesel pumps within the pump station.
Water officials met with the management of Village Walk Retirement Village in Benoni on May 27. They admitted that the infrastructure in the area cannot cope with the demand. This, along with water leaks, is apparently the reason for poor water pressure in Brentwood Park. What is the reason for the poor water pressure in Brentwood Park (which Clr Andre du Plessis has said is a problem for four years)?
In cases of burst water pipes being repaired, the network pressure is reduced to allow for repairs to be undertaken and completed. Water pressure is restored soon after repairs are completed.
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