Above-normal rainfall is forecast, but poor planning and decaying infrastructure mean South Africans could still face water shortages.
Despite the South African Weather Service predicting above average rainfall this season, taps may still run dry as municipalities are already struggling to meet the demand in spring.
The service’s seasonal outlook suggests that the El Nino-southern oscillation is currently in a neutral state and predicts a weak La Nina event this summer.
“Most of the north-central-east regions of the country are expected to receive above-normal rainfall. Such anticipated conditions are likely to benefit water reservoirs, particularly in areas that receive most of the rainfall in September and onwards.”
Weather service predicts good summer rainfall
The weather service also said the minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to be mostly above normal across the country, except for the southern and eastern coastal areas, where below-normal maximum temperatures are anticipated in early spring.
In Johannesburg, residents’ tempers boiled over last week as they took to the streets to protest ongoing water problems in the city.
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Yesterday, mayor Dada Morero tried to put out the fires following a weekend of water woes in ward 66. He said that to distribute water, reservoirs have to be at a certain level.
Joburg Water has announced a throttling schedule.
Joburg Water spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini added that in August alone, Joburg Water replaced 446 stolen meters, which also contributed to service disruptions.
Call for calm after protests
The South African Local Government Association called for calm following protests in the city linked to water supply interruptions due to maintenance work being carried out by Joburg Water.
WaterCAN’s Ferrial Adam said: “The deeper problem is years of poor planning and underinvestment in infrastructure, which cannot cope with Johannesburg’s growing population.
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“On top of that, the infrastructure we do have is in a state of decay,” she said.
Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo said the utility was pumping at full capacity and problems are at municipal level.
City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said maintenance of a supply network in Waterkloof Ridge today is expected to last 10 hours.
