Water experts have advised that a concerted, multi-stakeholder effort is urgently needed to avoid the looming water crisis in Gauteng.
Key issues contributing to the water crisis in the province include aging infrastructure, population growth, excessive municipal water losses, and overconsumption. Most people and businesses are using more water than necessary.
Recently, the Department of Water and Sanitation Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips, warned that Gauteng is now in a situation where the demand for treated water is already occasionally exceeding the supply, particularly during peaks of demand.
Gauteng Provincial Government in partnership with municipalities has launched a water data hub, also known as a water dashboard. It will help residents to keep track of shortages and repair issues in their areas and it will further assist residents in understanding how bad things are.
The water dashboard has been developed to provide meaningful, reliable, up-to-date information so that residents can make informed decisions about their personal water use. The information for all cities in the province can be found in one place.
This dashboard is the first of such initiatives. It was developed by the Platform for Water Secure Gauteng (PWSG) Dashboard Working Group. It will enable all sectors to get a common understanding of the state of the water system and progress in strengthening the system.
Currently, the dashboard is hosted on the Department of Water and Sanitation website. This intervention is one of many that will play a part in Gauteng becoming water secure.
On September 13, 2024, Premier Panyaza Lesufi convened a Water Imbizo as part of the provincial government’s proactive intervention to prevent water insecurity.
The gathering brought together key stakeholders such as Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water, and municipalities to strategise and find solutions aimed at safeguarding water supply in Gauteng.
Some of the key issues discussed during the imbizo included municipal debt, rising water demand, illegal connections, encroachment, and the vandalism of water supply infrastructure. The provincial government committed to having these water imbizos every quarter.
As part of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s proactive measures to avert water insecurity, it has instructed municipalities to implement Level 1 water restrictions that will run until March 2025.
Municipalities, especially the City of Johannesburg, have started putting level 1 water restrictions which include prohibiting all consumers from filling up swimming pools, washing cars with hosepipes, using a hosepipe to clean paved driveways, and irrigating gardens between 6am and 6pm.
However, the water challenge cannot be resolved by the government alone. As indicated earlier, governments, municipalities, the private sector, and communities must join forces to address this challenge.
Businesses can invest in water-efficient technologies and contribute to infrastructure projects. They can also review their operations to find ways to use water more effectively and re-use where possible.
Gauteng residents must play a key role in following and maintaining restrictions put in place to save water. They are encouraged to adopt water-saving habits, including using buckets for handwashing, minimising shower times, not leaving taps dripping, washing their car on the grass, this will water their lawn at the same time, using a watering can instead of a hosepipe, using a glass of water to rinse when brushing their teeth, taking shallow baths and reusing greywater.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature recently, Premier Lesufi noted that water is a scarce resource and parts of Gauteng have been without water for almost two months.
He said the main reason was not that the province lacked water, but that almost 37% was lost through illegal connections and water leakages.
Our water usage needs to reflect that we are currently facing a crisis. However, it has been noted that our abstraction volumes are on an upward trend and higher than the limits set by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
Meanwhile, water experts say Gauteng loses over 40% of clean water, which does not reach tap users. The bulk of this water is lost through leaking pipes, lack of infrastructure maintenance, theft, and non-payment of services. Leaks are causing some Gauteng municipalities to lose up to 78% of their water supply.
For Gauteng to avert this water crisis, proactive steps need to be taken urgently by all stakeholders.
Upgrading water infrastructure is critical including maintaining stormwater infrastructure, building new dams with improved capacity to cope with floods and droughts, as well as repairing existing ones to minimise leakage.
Nozipho Dlamini is communicator in the Gauteng Office of the Premier