Water supply closure: Expert warns metro to look after its water sources
Although it is foreseen that Tshwane’s water supply in all probability will not be affected by the closure of a pipe from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, a water expert cautions that conservation of water by the metro and its residents should remain a priority.
A leading South African water supply expert says that although the main water supply to Gauteng, the country’s economic heartland, is set to be cut for six months, it shouldn’t have a significant impact on Tshwane.
Prof Anthony Turton of the University of the Free State warned that this however is no reason for the metro and for water consumers to rest on their laurels and use water left, right and centre.
Spokesperson of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Wisane Mavasa, recently announced that maintenance on a 38km long tunnel of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project would start in October.
The project is a lifeline for millions of South Africans and provides 60% of Gauteng’s water needs.
But how will this actually impact Tshwane’s water supply?
According to Turton, Tshwane is in the fortunate position that some of its water is supplied from other diverse sources apart from Rand Water, which especially acquires its water from the Lesotho Highlands project.
He however warned Tshwane’s leaders to see to it that water sources such as the Rietvlei Dam, which provides 15% of the metro’s water, and the Tiervlei Dam, are looked after carefully.
“Don’t allow mining activities to pollute an independent water source such as the Rietvlei Dam,” Turton warned.
He also praised Tshwane’s leaders for the work already done around the city’s water supply.
“But much more can still be done. We are, and remain, a water-scarce country and each resident and municipality will have to play their part to ensure we continually work wisely with the available water,” said Turton.
It worried him that scant attention was being paid to the volume of water lost through water leaks in the city council networks.
“Municipalities lose 45% –50% of the water they purchase, due to water leaks between their outlets where the water enters the system and the consumer.
“This is a daily reality and it doesn’t help consumers use water sparingly, but so much water is unnecessarily lost in the system. Municipal structures are collapsing everywhere due to a lack of maintenance of water supply systems and consumers suffer,” explained Turton.
The systemic collapse of municipalities is one of his main concerns.
“At certain metros such as Durban, they cannot turn around the city themselves and outside intervention will be needed to get all systems, including water supply, functional again. ”
He believed the fact that city leaders such as mayor Cilliers Brink had already prioritised water concerns and the crisis around Rooiwal and directly addressed the supply of clean water to Hammanskraal, was good news for residents.
“It is good news that the city council is prepared to engage around this and listen to experts to also look at alternatives,” said Turton.
He pointed out that Tshwane actually has access to and should be proud of the fact that the metro is located on a hydrological treasure and can benefit from it, especially in the Centurion area.
He believed the city’s underground water may be of strategic significance for the future of water supply to residents.
“The underground aquifer that indicates a widespread underground lake for example in the Fountains area in Tswhane is a national treasure and needs to be protected against activities that may pollute it,” Turton warned.
According to him, the behaviour of water consumers concerning water usage however needs to be changed.
Turton advised Tshwane’s leaders to establish a system where different tariffs may be applied to different water usages.
He also advised that the metro needs to again start developing its communication around services such as water supply so consumers may trust the metro’s information about it.
He referred to Cape Town’s sophisticated water plan put in place after the Day Zero crisis five years ago.
“The metro should also look at its own policy for recycling and recirculation of water. There are systems through which water that has been purified may be returned to the system to be used in toilets. It makes no sense to flush toilets with drinking water and that is what we are currently doing,” Turton highlighted.
MMC for Finance, Jacqui Uys, said in response to a query that the metro cannot continue using scarce resources and funding to do provincial and semi-government institutions’ work.
“If Tshwane’s water supply from Rand Water is affected by the pipe closure, it is their responsibility to see to it that we get water tanks for Tshwane, and they have to pay for it,” she stressed.
She emphasised the metro will however not just idly watch as its residents are left without water due to the possibility of reduced water supply from Rand Water.
“We will not leave residents without water. Comfort however lies in that the decision has been taken to repair the pipe during our rainy season after October. We don’t foresee that the repair will have an impact if it is managed correctly,” Uys said.
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