IN PICS: New Joburg mayor asks thirsty residents to be patient amid water crisis

Newly-elected Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has appealed for residents to be patient as they are working around the clock to ensure that they restore regular water supply.

Morero, who replaced Mpho Phalatse as mayor last week, conducted an oversight visit at the city’s reservoirs and water towers to assess the water crisis that has plagued large parts of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg Water this week announced stage 2 water restrictions as its reservoirs are running dry.

Power cuts affected water supply

The water utility blamed the constant power cuts for affecting its bulk water supply, Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch purification plan, in turn affecting various reservoirs.

Morero, with representatives from Joburg Water, visited the Hursthill, Brixton, Crown Mines and Crosby reservoirs water towers.

“We are appealing to the residents to work with us and water supply will of course be restored and we will have continuous flow of supply soon.

“It is something that happened, we are trying to resolve it and I am glad that the departments or agencies are doing their level best to ensure that we do have water,” said Morero.

READ MORE: Two major Joburg hospitals without water due to load shedding

Morero also visited the Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa Hospitals to check if water tankers are deployed daily.

The CEO at Helen Joseph Hospital, Relebohile Ncha, said they made an arrangement with Joburg Water to get constant water supply.

He pleaded with residents to give the water systems time to get back to full capacity and resume normal service. He said they will deploy water tankers where necessary.

Brixton and Hursthill resevoirs

Managing Director at Johannesburg Water, Ntshavheni Mukwevho, said they worked overnight on the Brixton reservoir on Tuesday, which is now able to start pumping water into the tower.

He said they have opened the Brixton reservoir’s water supply at 50% from Wednesday morning, which will help recharge the reservoir.

“In terms of the Hursthill reservoir, this is the area that yesterday had a level that was still very low, we could not open it when we were opening Brixton. We only started opening the system partially late yesterday.

“We are still in the process of recharging because the level is still very low and we will need to manage the system very closely,” added Mukwevho.

Low lying areas supplied by the Hursthill reservoir may still have no water supply, while high lying areas may experience water shortages.

NOW READ: City of Tshwane implements stage 2 water restrictions