Gauteng water networks lose one billion litres a day

Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni together lose around one billion litres of water a day, according to South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which attributes the losses to municipal networks in Gauteng.

The DA says Rand Water, the province’s bulk water supplier, is reducing its supply to Johannesburg after the city allegedly exceeded its allocation. Its spokesperson for water and sanitation, Stephen Moore, cited the Department of Water and Sanitation’s dashboard dated 30 October: Rand Water’s reservoirs were at 31.1% capacity, against a target of 60%. The Eikenhof system stood at 7%, Zwartkopjes at 16%, Palmiet at 28% and Mapleton at 34%.

Johannesburg Water reported supply constraints in several systems, including those serving Sandton, Midrand, Randburg, Roodepoort, Commando and Central. In Midrand, some networks were receiving low volumes while others had stopped distributing water. Teams from Johannesburg Water and Rand Water are assessing the situation and carrying out interventions, according to the municipal utility.

In KwaZulu-Natal, areas in southern Pinetown also experienced severe disruption, while some parts of the province endured outages lasting nearly two weeks. The DA accuses municipalities of restricting supply to prevent reservoirs from running dry.