Hammanskraal

Hammanskraal has had an ongoing for a long timeImage: Pexels.

Joburg suffers in heatwave with stage two water restrictions

The high consumption levels have been spurred by the recent heatwave that has hung over Joburg.

Hammanskraal

Hammanskraal has had an ongoing for a long timeImage: Pexels.

Joburg residents will most certainly feel the heat this weekend after Rand Water announced that it is implementing stage two water restrictions in an effort to avoid Day Zero.

Joburg water restrictions: What’s the latest?

The City of Joburg has been thrown into the deep end by Rand Water, the water utility that supplies potable water to the Gauteng province, after it noted its inability to keep up with the current water supply that is demanded by municipalities.

The water utility noted that due to high consumption rates, it was forced to implement stage two water restrictions. What this means, is that in the interim, Joburg Water has been forced to throttle reservoirs between 20% to 40% in line with the restrictions imposed by Rand Water.

To make matters worse, the City’s water supply authority had to close the Hurst Hill Reservoir, effectively leaving residents of some areas without water.

These are the areas that have been affected:

  • Montgomery Park;
  • Albertville;
  • Melville; and
  • Auckland Park

Rand Water cancels media briefing in the eleventh hour

Rand Water was expected to hold a media briefing, on Friday, 25 October, along with leaders from various municipalities “to address the current water demand issues and their immediate impact on consumers”.

However, shortly after issuing this notice, the water utility doubled back and cancelled the briefing, stating that it has since been moved to Monday, 28 October, without furnishing any reason.

Five ways you can save water

While the City and Rand Water find ways to maintain a fair output of water, residents have been asked to use water sparingly, and more importantly, to save water wherever possible.

These are five ways you can save water and beat the heatwave with enough hydration.

Stock up on as much water as possible

Make sure that your 25-litre buckets are filled to the brim with tap water, especially if there are at least four people living in your household.

This will limit the need for you to purchase the pricey bottled water for things like bathing and cooking.

The sink is the new bathtub

Although the City has noted that it is doing everything it can to prevent water cut-offs , it is safe to assume that there won’t be any water available during the times you will need to wash.

Therefore, to save water, you can use the sink to wipe yourself with a cloth as an alternative to the power shower. It is not ideal but it will get the job done and save you a ton of water you may need for other things like cooking and drinking.

Water filtration before you drink

Filtration systems are often expensive but if the recent Cape Town water crisis taught us anything, it is to invest in one of these in case of emergencies.

If this is well outside your budget, then don’t fret. There are alternative ways to remove the dangerous heavy metals and other contaminants that will likely be present in the tiny stream of water that you will be able to siphon during water cut-offs.

Boiling water is one efficient way to do it.

Drink water sparingly

Do away with the two-litres-per-day rule and rather drink a glass or two. This may not be ideal in dry conditions but drinking less water will allow for enough water to be used to supplement other needs, like cooking and staying clean.

Limit visits to the loo

A shutdown of water supply means that the toilet will most likely be restricted from getting the water it needs to flush away all of our excrement deposits.

While the alternative would be to manually fill up the bin, it requires a lot of water. Limited visits to the loo are largely linked with temporary dietary changes so think twice before you eat foods that are high in fibre