Johannesburg residents brace for water cuts this long weekend
Johannesburg suburbs, including Soweto and Randburg, will experience water cuts for 86 hours as Rand Water performs maintenance.
Picture for illustration: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Several suburbs in Johannesburg are facing a weekend without water as Rand Water begins an 86-hour water shutdown tomorrow.
This, the utility said, is to perform essential maintenance.
Among the areas that will likely be without water are: Soweto, Randburg, Roodepoort, Brixton, Crosby, Hursthill, Lenasia, and parts of Johannesburg central. These areas are fed from the Eikenhof Pump Station.
Areas affected by water cuts
Maintenance will run from 7am tomorrow till Monday.
Those in: Crown Gardens, Eagles Nest Reservoir, Parktown, Berea, Forrest Hill, Alan Manor, Naturena, Aeroton, Orlando East, as well as the Hector Norris Pump Station may experience low to no water supply until Saturday.
Rand Water said the maintenance was “for the purpose of achieving improved plant availability, reliability, and efficiencies towards a flexible system”.
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Affected areas will be provided with alternative water supply through water tankers.
“The maintenance work is typically scheduled during periods of low demand,” said Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo yesterday.
“December is particularly suitable for such work due to the closure of industries and by extension, the temporary depopulation of Gauteng as residents travels for holidays.
December best time for work
This timing also allows for quicker system recovery once the maintenance is completed.” The outages have sparked outrage from some quarters, including from citizen water advocacy network WaterCAN.
Executive manager Ferrial Adam said the organisation acknowledged the importance of maintenance, but it questioned the poor timing of the shutdown.
“Many communities are still reeling from recent water shortages and protests. Residents of Johannesburg deserve a break from these repeated disruptions,” she said.
ALSO READ: Postpone Rand Water’s December shutdown, activists demand
“If this maintenance was planned, why has there been no consultation or explanation and communication? Why schedule it for the first long weekend of the festive season?”
Adams said she was worried that Rand Water did not understand the challenges of no water being experienced in many parts of Johannesburg.
“We are constantly reminded that water is not like electricity and is not just on with a flick of the switch. This means that with the high temperatures and leaking reservoirs, reservoirs could run dry while there is maintenance,” she said.
Taps could dry up
“Eikenhof serves at least 60% of Johannesburg, so many people could run out of water.”
Adams said during the previous maintenance , people went without water for up to 10 days and added that if it happened now, there was a very real possibility of no water over Christmas.
Hennops Rivier Revival founder Tarryn Johnston said the maintenance might have a direct impact on public health.
ALSO READ: Rand Water rubbishes claims of ‘poisoned’ Vaal Dam water
“Beyond the necessity of water for survival, it is also a time when people come together. Without adequate water, hygiene could deteriorate, potentially leading to the spread of diseases,” she said.
Johnston said in a time of gatherings, cooking and eating together, the absence of water could pose significant challenges.
“Water is essential for cleaning ingredients, cooking, and preparing meals. Without water, it would be difficult to properly wash vegetables and fruits, making it challenging to ensure food safety and hygiene,” she said.
Water is essential
“Many cooking methods, such as boiling, steaming and simmering, rely heavily on water. Lack of water would limit these cooking techniques, potentially forcing people to resort to less healthy or efficient methods.”
Meanwhile, the department of water and sanitation’s latest weekly report revealed another significant decline in the Vaal Dam’s water capacity levels.
The dam is a powerhouse of South Africa’s economy, situated in the heart of Gauteng.
ALSO READ: Parts of Tshwane restored, says mayor after residents left without water for five days
Besides being a crucial water source, the Vaal Dam boasts an impressive shoreline of 880km and a surface area of 32 107 hectares.
The dam, an essential part of the Integrated Vaal River System, recorded a capacity of 26.5% of its full storage capacity of 2.5 billion cubic metres this week.
According to the department’s comparison report, it has declined from 28.2% the previous week. The dam has been consecutively dropping by two to three percentage points in the past few months.
In 2023, the Vaal Dam – one of the main suppliers to Gauteng – sat at a significantly higher capacity of 67.7%.
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