Minister Mchunu demands more water made available by Rand Water
Rand Water abstracts 4400 mega litres of water and has already exceeded this allocation by over 1600 mega litres since the beginning of the spring season.
Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu has committed to increase the bulk water allocation to the Rand Water system as an emergency measure to address water shortages in the Gauteng metros, districts and local municipalities.
ALSO READ: Soweto affected by stage two water cuts
According to him, they noted the increase in water usage and restrictions imposed by Rand Water in response to the deteriorating water levels in their reservoirs and they will therefore increase the allocation of abstraction of bulk water to Rand Water’s system to meet demand.
“This should bring relief to some metros, namely Johannesburg, Tshwane and Mogale City District Municipality, however the measure is for a period of nine months while we seek more permanent solutions to water usage and management,” said Minister Mchunu.
Currently, Rand Water abstracts 4400 mega litres of water and has already exceeded this allocation by over 1600 mega litres since the beginning of the spring season.
Minister Mchunu held an emergency meeting on October 17 to engage with Rand Water representatives of all three metros, districts and local municipalities of Gauteng Province affected by water restrictions.
ALSO READ: Klipspruit West residents at wits end with Joburg Water
The Minister said while the increased allocation will bring in some relief to those municipalities experiencing restrictions due to high usage and demand, municipalities need to come up with measures to deal with those wasting water including imposing penalties and addressing the challenge of water leaks on municipal systems.
“As a country we are experiencing the scarcity of water, yet we allow for up to 40 percent of our water to be lost to leakage. This undermines our efforts to address water challenges.”
A Water Room committee comprising of DWS, Rand Water and all Gauteng municipalities as well as business sector will be set up to provide a holistic coordination, provision and management of water system in the province.
Water use has risen in recent weeks due to the continued heatwave which has been happening in this period over the last two to three years, compounded by delayed summer rains in the inland provinces leading to people using potable water for uses that would have ordinarily been taken care of by rains.
ALSO READ: Prepaid water meters – an excellent option for sectional title schemes
There continues to be overuse in the province which puts a strain on the system that led to Rand Water having to inform their customers of the need to restrict.
This does not imply that there is a crisis of water availability but is rather a means to manage the system through reduction and therefore bringing balance to the system.
Follow Us Here:
Catch the latest news by visiting our other platforms:
