Johannesburg residents will face hefty fines and possible water shedding if they fail to comply with the current Level 2 water restrictions.
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department, Anthony Still, held a media briefing on the status of the water supply in the city.
Still highlighted that the current drought and low water levels at the Integrated Vaal River System has resulted in the City of Johannesburg being required to reduce its water usage immediately. “Water levels have dropped below the threshold of 60 percent; the Vaal Dam itself is at 35 percent.”
According to the MMC, Rand Water will reduce their supply to Johannesburg Water with 15 percent from 6 September. Still urged residents to reduce their water usage and comply with the existing Level 2 water use restrictions.
According to the current restrictions, residents are compelled to:
- Not water or irrigate their gardens between 6am and 6pm.
- Only handheld hosepipes or buckets and watering cans are allowed outside these hours.
- Not to fill swimming pools with municipal water.
- Not to use hosepipes to wash cars or to clean paved areas and driveways.
If a resident is using a borehole, Still said that it must be clearly stated on the exterior of the property. He added that Metro police will work hard to ensure compliance from community members, and said residents who witness transgressions should notify Metro police immediately.
With each transgression, those reported could face a fine of up to R1 500.
Illegal use of water from fire hydrants should be a thing of the past. Still highlighted that 220 000 hotspots have been identified throughout all regions in the city to ensure that they are not abused and used illegally.
Still added that the City has introduced an increased water tariff and said they hope it will curb excessive water usage.
If water demand in the city does not decrease by 15 percent, the MMC said there is a risk of water outages. He said Johannesburg Water is already approaching the challenge proactively. “We have active leakage detection and repair teams and water network pressure modulation.”
He highlighted that Johannesburg Water has also installed low flush water cistern in other areas. He said they also encourage residents to use boreholes as an alternative source of water for non-potable purposes.
Details: To report non-compliance, contact 011 758 9650.
