A “war room” was established by the Gauteng Government to tackle water shortages.
This follows visits this week, to various areas in the Province, including the Midrand Depot, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and the West Rand on Thursday and Sedibeng on Friday.
Fears of taps running dry were fuelled by constraints at the Commando system, where communities were left stranded, in Melville, Westdene and Parktown West.
The capital city is feeling the brunt of reduced water inflow from Rand Water, leaving several areas with very little to no water.
The City of Tshwane said in an update on Wednesday afternoon, some of the City’s reservoirs are running empty, such as those in Mabopane and Soshanguve.
Critically low reservoirs are the Klipgat, Kruisfontein, the main Mabopane and Soshanguve DD.
The City also said reservoirs depleting rapidly are Laudium, Atteridgeville and Pretoriusrand.
But Jacob Mamabolo, MEC of Cooperative Governance in Gauteng, said “we have enough water to supply our residents, what we are focusing on now, is addressing the challenges that cause interruptions to supply. It is therefore, incorrect to suggest that there will be a Day Zero in Gauteng.”
Information shared by Rand Water, show water consumption of two of Gauteng’s Metros, including Johannesburg and Tshwane, is sky high.
Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Dada Morero, Mayor of Joburg, said the City is taking decisive action to stabilize the water supply network and reduce consumption through a comprehensive, multifaceted Water Demand Management programme.
Morero said the City must still reach a critical target of 1 550 Ml/d to comply with licence apportionment requirements.
The City, and partners- Johannesburg Water, Rand Water, and key stakeholders have a plan to address both immediate and long-term water security challenges.
Its implementation includes assessments of water usage patterns, targeted interventions in high-risk areas, and the deployment of cutting-edge technologies to monitor and optimise the entire supply system.
“Johannesburg remains one of the largest consumers of bulk water supplied by Rand Water” admitted Morero.
Urgent interventions, will also include scaling up awareness activities, such as partnerships with business and public campaigns.
He also said the City is accelerating reservoir repairs, pipeline replacement, smart metering, and more rigorous enforcement of by-laws to reduce non-revenue water and restore system efficiency.
Technical teams are restoring stability by addressing pressure issues, flushing networks to clear blockages, and securing alternative supply via water tankers and mobile storage units where necessary.
Picture of media briefing in Markspark, Department of Water and Sanitation South Africa Minister Pemmy Majodina has now joined the Deputy Minister David Mahlobo , Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, City of Joburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero and Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo.