Johannesburg’s mayor Dada Morero and Ntshavheni Mukwevho, managing director of Johannesburg Water, held a media briefing to discuss the current water crisis.
Speaking from the new reservoir and water tower construction site in Brixton, part of the Commando water network, the pair were at pains to urge residents to reduce water consumption to avoid further restrictions.
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Morero said, “The City of Johannesburg is currently facing a severe water crisis due to ongoing drought conditions, exacerbated by climate change, high levels of non-revenue water [water not paid for, including leaks], illegal connections, and infrastructure challenges.”
Current storage levels of water are at 40%.
“We need to have 60% of water stored to provide a 24-hour supply – to do that we need to make water savings,” said Mukwevho.
Currently, Rand Water supplies the city with 1 700ML (megalitres) per day and is unable contractually to provide more. “That level of consumption is not sustainable, and we must reduce consumption to 1 500ML per day, a reduction of 200ML.”
Morero said the severity of the crisis requires a co-ordinated, high-level solution which includes:
• Repairs of leaking reservoirs and tower infrastructure.
• Repair and replacement of zonal bulk water meters.
• Active and passive leak detection.
• Retrofitting and removal of wasteful devices (infrastructure upgrade and renewal).
• By-law enforcement (illegal connections cut-off and reconnections).
• Replacement and refurbishment of large gate valves.
• Water pipe replacement.
• Domestic and large consumer meter replacement.
Mukwevho says this strategy, “Aims to reduce demand by 37 123ML per annum, from the technical interventions.”
He clarified, “Nobody is talking about a ‘Day Zero’ when water runs out, as it did in Cape Town a few years ago. We are not there, but need to take saving water very seriously.”
Johannesburg Water has an infrastructure renewal backlog to the value of R26b, and R11b for water infrastructure projects,” said Morero.
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“To achieve our goals, funding will come from provincial and national treasury, and blended funding streams from grants and loans.
“Funding limitations are delaying the eradication of this backlog resulting in further aging of infrastructure. Consequently, we are focused on improving water billing systems and investigating areas where non-revenue water is rising.”
The Commando build in Brixton, where the press conference was held, comes at a cost of R33m for a new 26ML tank, tower, shaft, and pipework.
“In the Johannesburg network, there are 128 reservoirs, with 45 needing refurbishment which normally takes 1 year each. Of these, 22 are on the critical list for refurbishment at a cost of R25m per job,” said Mukwevho.
The mayor urges residents to remember that level 1 water restrictions remain in place which, ‘prohibits the use of hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars, clean driveways, and fill up swimming pools and water features.’
He was also noted that the Vaal Dam, currently at 35% capacity, has no impact on the city’s water supply problems. “It is part of the Integrated Vaal River System – a much bigger network that one supply source cannot interrupt,” said Morero.
A new campaign called ‘Vikela Amanzi’ (protect our tomorrow), was also launched to confront the escalating water supply challenge that threatens, ‘our communities and our future’.
“This urgent campaign calls on every resident, business, and visitor to reduce water usage and protect our city’s vital water resources.”
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