The City of Johannesburg‘s residents, including residents of Roodepoort and Florida, might be in for a hot, dry and expensive Spring.
Due to the unseasonable heat and abnormally low rainfall in the province, the integrated Vaal River System, which supplies the City of Johannesburg’s water, has dropped below the required level of 60 per cent. The Vaal Dam is currently less than 35 per cent full, and Level 2 water restrictions are now in place.
The Department of Water and Sanitation believes that a water shortage might exist, so they have put measures in place to limit the amount of water used from the Vaal River System.
Anthony Still, the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Infrastructure Services said, “Rand Water, the bulk supplier for Johannesburg Water, sent a notification on 24 August that it will be reducing supply by 15 per cent, effective from 6 September. This will be achieved by governing the flow of water through the bulk water supply meters of Johannesburg Water. It will be managed in a dynamic manner to reduce the possibility of water stoppages.”
In areas where there is a high demand, Johannesburg Water will reduce the water flow from 8pm to 4am, while most residents are sleeping.
The already implemented Level 2 restrictions are still in place, and residents are urged to adhere to them.
Johannesburg Water warned residents that if they ignore these restrictions, they may face fines or even Level 3 water restrictions, which is far from ideal.
Still reminded residents that failure to restrict and reduce demand now could mean facing water rationing – a state of affairs that should be avoided at all costs.
“If the drought continues, the raw water availability of the Vaal Dam will reduce further and supply will be even more limited. We might have no drinking water at all. The situation is dire and we must change our wasteful attitude towards water. We must use our scarce water resources wisely in the long-term to counter climate change,” Still said.
To achieve the desired 15 per cent reduction in water usage, every household must reduce consumption by at least 170 litres per day.
All these factors mean that residents could pay up to 30 per cent more for their water supply.
“When the tariffs were approved for the 2016/ 17 financial year, the implementation of water restriction tariffs was approved, but only if necessary. This is now the case; therefore these tariffs will apply from September until the drought situation is over,” Still said.
These tariffs will impact excessive users who can reduce consumption the most. For a breakdown of the water restriction tariffs, visit the Johannesburg Water website.
Although nobody can definitely predict when the drought will be over, reports from the experts indicate that it should end between late November and early December.
Until then, we must work together in an effort to reduce water consumption and urge residents and visitors to respect municipal water restrictions.
Households and businesses are encouraged to implement water-wise measures and make water saving a lifestyle.
Also Read:
Rand Water implements water restrictions, but…
Use water sparingly, urges Rand Water
