Residents fed up with ‘blame games’ during Joburg’s water crisis

The ongoing water-shedding, rampant water leaks and now ‘water shifting’- is a reality that Fourways residents refuse to live with anymore.

On October 12, Nkosinathi Masombuka who resides in Craigavon complained to Joburg Water about the taps running dry in the area.

According to Ward 94 Cllr David Foley, this was due to a pipe burst on Leslie Avenue which affected Craigavon, Uranium Road complexes, and some parts of Fourways.

But this was the last straw for Masombuka; he said he was tired of having days when he had to make plans to get water, “This affects my budget too because I have to buy water which is one of the services that I already pay for. It is not fair.”

This is one of the many reasons Dr Ferrial Adam, the executive director of the community action network WaterCAN, has come up with a petition to send signatures to Joburg Water and Rand Water as a plea for solutions to the city’s water crisis.

“We had a meeting that brought together a whole range of people from across Joburg to discuss the city’s crisis. And one of the key issues that came up was water. So, we then spoke to a few people who suggested ‘Let us send these letters and then do a petition’ because Rand Water and Joburg Water need to see that this is just not two or three organisations complaining, but also people in the city are quite fed up.

“There are some days where people have no water because of water-shedding, and also the amount of water that we lose to leaks that are not responded to immediately is concerning. It is only when people take to the streets that a response is received. The infrastructure is failing, and we would like them to also deal with that. I do know some areas in Fourways which suffer from this crisis.”

In the petition which has 3 000 supporters so far – Dr Adam stated that they are dissatisfied with the responses from the water utilities.

“They are characterised by finger-pointing and blame games rather than providing solutions, leadership, and direction. The lack of adequate communication has left residents confused and unsure of what exactly is happening with our water resources. The situation has reached a critical point.”

She said Joburg Water and Rand Water have until October 16 to reply to their grievances, otherwise, they would protest for the change they need.

“We are not going to leave it. We might even demand a meeting with the minister. We need answers from Joburg Water and Rand Water and if we need to organise a protest in the long run, we will.”

Cllr Foley confirmed that water was restored in Craigavon the same day. He said, however, there was another pipe burst on Galloway Road.

“Leslie and Westway and surrounds have had many bursts over the last six months which continues to impact residents. Joburg Water really needs to replace the old infrastructure which is creating these bursts and ensure isolation valves are working to isolate a smaller area affecting fewer residents,” he said.

Joburg Water’s response:

In response to our query Nombuso Shabalala from Joburg Water said their bulk supplier, Rand Water experienced several issues with its infrastructure between August 24 and September 24. This had a negative impact not only on the City of Johannesburg reservoirs and towers but other Gauteng municipalities, including the Cities of Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. The worst of these was between September 19 and 24 at the Zuikerbosch purification plant and this affected Zwartkopjes, Eikenhof and Palmiet stations.

Johannesburg Water systems that are still under immense strain and recovery include the following: South Hills tower and pump station, Crown Gardens, Commando System (comprising Brixton, Crosby and Hurstill), Naturena, Midrand system and Alexander Park. Johannesburg Water is largely unable to pump and residents in these supply zones are receiving intermittent to no water supply.

There is inconsistent supply from bulk supplier, Rand Water, coupled with high demand. Consumption and demand are outstripping supply, particularly during the warmer/hot weather. Water lost to leaks and ageing infrastructure has also contributed to water interruptions.

To mitigate some of these water challenges, Johannesburg Water has deployed a total of 50 roaming water trucks and 56 water tanks to affected areas. While this may not replace potable water, this is how the entity is ensuring residents have a regular water supply. Johannesburg Water throttles supply (reduced flow and pressure) from 21:00 to 04:00 every day, in order to build capacity to the strained reservoirs and towers.

Johannesburg Water is in regular contact with Rand Water, to find a resolution to the current challenges. We appeal for patience and understanding as we work hard to address the water interruptions. We are monitoring the recovery of our reservoirs and will also continue providing regular updates to our customers.

Rand Water’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment through the office number since October 12 and again, October 16 at the time gone to print.