Village Golden Harvest pensioners receive little to no water
JW leaves pensioners at Village Golden Harvest No 1 struggling for water after their pressure declined without a proper explanation.
Residents of Village Golden Harvest No 1, a retirement village in Randburg, are facing a severe water crisis due to persistently low water pressure.
After years of receiving consistent 5-bar daily water pressure, the village has recently experienced a significant drop to 1.5 bars, causing distress among residents who punctually pay their dues to the city.
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The village has, approximately, 100 housing units, which are home to pensioners and the elderly, with some of their residents being over 100 years of age. Those residing on the upper side of the village are mostly affected, receiving little to no water.
According to Ronnie Lottering, maintenance manager for the village and also a resident: “I first reported this issue on July 15, because that’s when we started receiving low water pressure. We found out that it was not only us, but those who stay on the same street as well, however, the problem was never fixed, despite calling them many times. They would mention that they will send someone to come look at the meter, but no one ever comes.”
Also read: Golden Harvest Retirement Village faces water crisis
Lottering reached out to ward councillor Ralf Bittkau, who assured them he would escalate the matter to the relevant people. However, despite his follow-ups, the issue has still not been resolved.
Bittkau said: “This is absolutely ridiculous. When the retirement home contacted me, I made sure to do a follow-up with Johannesburg Water (JW), and they assured me they would investigate the problem. It’s honestly frustrating to know that the resident has not yet got the help they need, and now they’re struggling to get water, which is a necessity. No one should be struggling to get water, especially when they’re paying for it.”
According to JW, the cause is the implementation of water supply reduction, or throttling, since November 8, 2024, as part of ongoing efforts to manage high consumption and support the recovery of their ongoing systems. This measure has been communicated to residents, and the entity continues to monitor the situation closely.
JW spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said: “The throttling schedules are regularly updated and communicated to residents through multiple channels. These include distribution via JW’s WhatsApp councillor groups, which councillors then share with their constituents. Additionally, updates are posted on JW’s official social media platforms, including X, Facebook, and our dedicated WhatsApp channel, to ensure customers are kept informed.”
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