IN response to a call by the National Department of Water and Sanitation, the metro has announced it will implement measures to curb water consumption by 15%.
A Government Gazette notice published on August 12 instructed water boards and municipalities to reduce their abstraction of water from the Integrated Vaal River System. This is due to prolonged drought conditions that have put the system under severe pressure.
“Residents throughout the city may have already started experiencing low water pressure as a result of pressure management initiated by the city since Tuesday. This means that upper floors may experience situations of very little or no water,” Ekurhuleni spokesperson Themba Gadebe, said.
Ekurhuleni assures its residents that all water reduction measures will be implemented in a responsible manner. In the meanwhile, residents and businesses are urged to use water sparingly and refrain from any irrigation activities between the hours of 6am and 6pm.
No filling of swimming pools from the municipal water supply will be permitted nor the use of hosepipes and sprinklers for watering, washing cars or cleaning outdoor areas. Ekurhuleni will further apply zero tolerance to the illegal connection of water.
The metro said it would implement fines in terms of the municipal by-laws for all those found to be contravening these restrictions.
The city will also soon announce additional water restrictions along with the punitive tariff that will be applied to water restriction violations.
“To respond adequately to water leaks, the city has increased capacity to respond to complaints laid by the public. Members of the public are requested to report leaks to the EMM call centre and obtain a reference number. The replacement of aged water infrastructure will be treated with utmost urgency.”
Residents are encouraged to continue reporting water service related interruptions through the municipal call centre on 086-054-3000 and through social media channels @EMM_Call_Centre on Twitter and the City of Ekurhuleni’s Facebook page.
Twitter users can also get active and spread the word online by using the hashtag ‘#EkuSaveWater’.
