The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating water crisis in Gauteng, outlining crucial measures that could avert an impending disaster.
According to the IRR, if stringent water rationing measures are not implemented soon, Gauteng might find itself in a severe crisis, known as Day Zero.
It is explained that this is a scenario where municipal water supplies run completely dry, which would have catastrophic implications not only for the residents but also for South Africa’s economy.
Titled “Gauteng’s Water Crisis”, the report delves deep into the multifaceted reasons behind the impending water shortages. It identifies critical failures in Gauteng’s water infrastructure, which include outdated distribution systems and inaccurate meter readings.
These failings not only waste millions of litres of drinking water, but they also translate into severe financial losses for municipalities — an alarming scenario that could potentially leave many areas parched.
According to Makone Maja, an IRR campaign manager, current practices have pushed Rand Water to over-abstract, drawing more water from the Vaal Dam than it is legally permitted, driven largely by escalating demand correlating with population growth since 2018.
Maja said: “It is absurd for Rand Water to collect more water only for it to be lost to leaking pipes.”
He said this highlights an alarming trend where municipalities are blamed for losing substantial amounts of water to broken infrastructure, with five municipalities reporting losses exceeding 30%.
It is also reported that the worst offenders include Emfuleni, Rand West City, and Merafong City, which have suffered water losses of 49%, 42%, and 38% respectively, attributed to faulty meters and leaks across their networks.
Johannesburg Water, which procures bulk water from Rand Water to supply the City of Johannesburg, has also indicated that its budget can only accommodate repairs for 20 out of the 42 leaking reservoirs. This underlines the extent of the crisis and the challenges facing municipal authorities.
Maja laid bare the underlying issues, stating: “Over-burdened infrastructure that either is simply not growing fast enough to match increased supply capacity or is being insufficiently maintained to overcome the breakdown leads to water leakages which cause shortages.”
He added that revenue shortfalls, exacerbated by poor meter readings and infrastructure deficiencies, prevent municipalities from undertaking essential maintenance and upgrades.
This report comes a few days after the Joburg mayor Dada Morero joined the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, to assess Johannesburg Water’s efforts in managing and addressing the growing water demand in the area.
Morero then revealed that additional measures were being taken to stop the current water issue and reassured the locals that their taps would never run dry.
It was further explained that the city is grappling with a severe water crisis due to persistent drought, climate change, high non-revenue water levels, illegal connections, and infrastructure issues.
Johannesburg Water was not available for comment at the time of publication.
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za