Water-shedding in Gauteng halted due to good weather

Rand Water has lifted water restrictions in Gauteng, the department of water and sanitation has told parliament.

“Due to the recent rains and good weather conditions, the system has stabilised to above 60% and ... Rand Water has lifted the restrictions and many areas in Gauteng are receiving water,” said deputy minister of water and sanitation David Mahlobo.

He was responding to a question from the DA’s Leonard Basson, who asked the department to provide an update on water shortages in parts of the province.

Responding, Mahlobo said: “The water system in Gauteng has stabilised after a number of weeks [during which it] was under stress and the availability of water in our system had dropped ... to 38%.

“We had challenges that affected Rand Water and all the municipalities in Gauteng because the high-lying areas could not use gravitational force to pump water up to them.

“There was a heatwave, and the behaviour of citizens and consumers impacted very negatively because of sprinkling and irrigation ... as well as electrical and mechanical failures in some of our systems.”

Mahlobo said Rand Water was increasing its water treatment capability because the population of Gauteng had increased in the past two years to more than 17-million. The economy, in proportion to GDP, had also risen.

“We are going to be building 600 megalitres per day of capacity to treat water in the last quarter of 2023. Currently, Rand Water is abstracting about 4,400 megalitres per day and exceeding the allocation by 1,600 megalitres.”

As a result the department of water and sanitation will increase abstraction capability, but infrastructure had to be increased proportionately, he said. 

“Phase two of Lesotho Highlands Water will ensure there is water security for Gauteng and all the snags between us, Lesotho and Namibia are being sorted out by the minister (Senzo Mchunu).”

Mahlobo said the department was concerned that due to ageing asbestos infrastructure, Gauteng municipalities were losing, over average, about 42% of their water.

“Johannesburg is sitting at 44%, Tshwane at 34% and Ekurhuleni is sitting at 35%.”

Mahlobo said the department was working with metros to replace asbestos and deal with other infrastructure-related matters.

The management of human settlements in Gauteng would be prioritised, he added.

Basson asked Mahlobo what measures would be put in place to curb further losses.

Mahlobo responded that South Africans needed to stop “politicising water”.

“The ANC government, over the past 28 years, has extended basic services to the majority of citizens who didn’t have water.

“I do admit that we have neglected investment in water infrastructure in terms of population and GDP growth, and these issues have caught up with us.”

The government would be investing R28bn over the next five years, but local government must also play its part, he said.

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