Rand Water Gauteng

A number of communities in Gauteng have been left with low pressure or no water at all. Image via Unsplash

‘Gauteng does not have a water crisis’: EFF on stage 2 restrictions

The Economic Freed Fighters (EFF) says Gauteng does not have a water crisis despite Stage 2 water restrictions being implemented.

Rand Water Gauteng

A number of communities in Gauteng have been left with low pressure or no water at all. Image via Unsplash

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says Gauteng does not have a water crisis. 

This comes as bulk supplier, Rand Water is currently implementing Stage 2 water restrictionsin the province which is also affecting all the municipalities in Gauteng including the three metros, City of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and tshwane. 

EFF ON GAUTENG WATER SHEDDING 

Rand Water which also supplies North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo reduced supply by 30% in Gauteng citing high consumption and low reservoir levels. It said reducing supply will serve to ensure that there is still enough water in the reservoirs to mitigate amongst the others intermittent supply.

“Since the beginning of Spring, Rand Water’s bulk supply to municipalities has increased from an average of 4 300 million litres of water a day to 4 900 million litres. There are approximately 17 million people supplied by Rand Water and on average the consumption in Gauteng per person is over 300 litres against the world’s average of 173 litres per person per day,” the bulk supplier said.

The EFF said water is an essential basic need for life and economic purposes. 

The party said businesses that rely on water and electricity for production and services are struggling to cope with the rolling electricity outages and adding the new restrictions aggravates an already desperate situation. 

“Imposing water restrictions on hospitals, clinics, schools and crechés to a point where there’s a shortage of water to drink and to flush toilets poses a severe health risk to vulnerable people,” 

According to the party, Gauteng does not have a crisis as supply dam levels are over 90% and anticipating a rainy period. It further said it is opposed to the new restrictions and will engage with the bulk supplier’s management and municipalities to find an amicable solution to the challenge.

“Increased water consumption by residents due to the hot climate is inevitable and water systems must be built to adapt to respond to this. 

“While water sparing mechanisms like minimal use of sprays, sprinklers and hose pipes are essential, they do not provide an adequate solution to the challenge. Improved infrastructure in terms of the water pumping system and maintenance is important.”

EFF

Weighing in on the restrictions, University of Free State water expert Professor Anthony Turton said the country’s water system needs a trillion-rand investment to fix its infrastructure.

Turton said the country is on the brink of total systemic failure not only of the energy system but also of the reticulation systems.

“We’re also starting to see instability in things like internet and that sort of thing, so yes, we are dangerously close to total systemic failure in South Africa. The dams themselves aren’t empty, but there is now an inability of supply to meet demand,” he said.

Meanwhile, parts of the Johannesburg are without water as the another system crashed on Sunday, 16 October as levels have worsened from critically low to empty.

There are the areas that are affected:

  • Montgomery Park
  • Westbury
  • Hursthill
  • Greymont
  • Coronationville
  • Newlands
  • Northcliff
  • Newclare
  • Auckland Park
  • Albertville
  • Newlands
  • Melville
  • Richmond
  • Parkview
  • Emmarentia
  • Greenside.

ALSO READ: Gauteng areas affected affected by Rand Water five-day shutdown