JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – The City is currently focused on fixing existing pipelines and that has been the cause of water interruptions in various areas in the south. Recently affected areas include Bassonia and Ormonde where residents did not have access to water for hours while maintenance was carried out.
On November 5, Bassonia residents had no water from 08:00 to 15:00 on Mount Pellan Drive, Ouderberg Street and Basroyd Street due to a tie-in to the existing pipe. For weeks construction was being done on Ouderberg Street replacing old pipes with more durable pipes.
Ward 54 Councillor Dos Santos said: “On the evening of Wednesday, October 28, I was informed that there was a major burst main on Othello Drive running into Alwen Road in Ormonde. Joburg Water switched off the water to the area in order to carry out the repairs. Some residents reported that they had water whilst other residents did not have water at all. This is due to the fact that water pressure was still building.”
According to Dos Santos, the City is losing on average R1 billion rand per year in unaccounted water, roughly about 40 per cent, this is in part due to water leaks that are not reported and reported but not attended too swiftly.
“In terms of this unacceptable loss in water and revenue, the City of Johannesburg and Joburg Water need to actively reduce this unaccounted water loss to an acceptable level,” added Dos Santos.
Residents are urged to ensure no water loss in their homes due to dripping taps and to follow all water saving measures.
Rand Water has made an urgent call in recent weeks for residents to use water sparingly as persistent high temperatures caused strain on water supply systems.
The lack of rainfall in the province has been a cause for concern to authorities and engineers alike with the Department of Water and Sanitation also implementing drought intervention measures to remedy decreasing levels of water in several provinces.
The responsible usage of water has never been more necessary as it is now and the government has rolled out interventions to educate the public on the value of water. Poor maintenance of infrastructure has been fingered by experts as one of the underlying causes of the problem along with the water demand exceeding supply.
