Should we brace ourselves for watershedding?
With leading civil engineers warning about a water crisis, the News asked about Mogale City's stance on the subject.
Dry taps, dry throats – a crisis looms.
Things probably never will be that bad, however, the pressure for Mogale City to meet the water demand is ever increasing and according to experts, residents are facing a water crisis.
“Economists have warned about water shedding and we have to take these warnings seriously,” said DA councillor Jacques Hoon, who also holds a Department of Infrastructure portfolio in Mogale City.
Leading civil engineers have warned that a water crisis does not strike like an electricity blackout. It creeps up on a country, slowly spreading like a cancer, Eyewitness News reported recently.
“The country’s water problems have been compounded by a drought in some regions, poor infrastructure maintenance and natural low levels of the precious resource,” the report reads.
In Mogale City overall infrastructure is lacking, older infrastructure is not maintained properly and regularly and there is a lack of adequate storage capacity to provide for the ever increasing water demand of Krugersdorp and the surrounding areas.
All the way from the Vaal Dam, our water can be limited if it is not properly managed.
At the recent opening of the new Condale Substation, mayor Koketso Calvin Seerane explained that the council’s main focus is to improve water and sanitation infrastructure. He said about 45 per cent of the town’s water is lost because of leakages, however the figures are starting to look better as many water pipes are being replaced.
“Some of the town’s water pipes are older than 50 years.”
Annette Fourie, also a DA councillor and part of the Mogale City Department of Infrastructure portfolio, explained that we need more reservoirs.
“Adequate funds also should be made available in the budget to ensure proper maintenance and replacement of the ageing infrastructure to avoid unnecessary water losses.”
The Mogale Audit Committee requested the municipality to implement strict measures to limit water losses. By quick reporting of and response to burst water pipes, we can save thousands of kilo litres water annually.
“We encourage residents to use water sparingly. The less prudent we are with our water use, the higher the risk of shortages and water restrictions. Reducing the demand for water will ensure we have an adequate supply for all residents of Mogale,” Hoon said.
Harvesting rainwater, reusing grey water and closing the tap when you brush your teeth are common measures to take to save water.
Then, even if all other towns’ taps run dry, Krugersdorp still can look forward to a cup of coffee every morning.
Related articles:
• Mogale City se infrastruktuur is verouderd
• Gebarste pyp blitsig herstel
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