EKURHULENI AND RAND WATER TO TIGHTEN GRIP ON WATER SITUATION

The City of Ekurhuleni and Rand Water have agreed to work together in dealing with the current water situation in the region.

In a high-level meeting held between the City and Rand Water, the parties confirmed that there was a need to normalize or attempt to normalize the situation as a matter of urgency. Leading the City’s delegation was the Executive Mayor Ald Tania Campbell, member of the mayoral committee for water and energy Cllr Senzi Sibeko and the City Manager Dr Imogen Mashazi. Rand Water was led by the chairman of the board Ramateu Monyokolo and the Chief Executive Officer Sipho Mosai.

The main reasons for the current situation were identified as load shedding and the recent heat wave which resulted in more water demand thus depleting the reserves.

The parties resolved that key to the current situation was dealing with issue of water conservation and also attend to increasing water storage capacity on both sides as a form of water security.

The parties further agreed that there was need for better communication between them so that communities are kept informed about the situation at every given time.

There was also a view the teams need to revisit the protocols employed by stakeholders in dealing with the drought of 2015/16 for best practice handling of the current situation.

Communities in Ekurhuleni’s high-lying areas have been struggling with water supply for the past couple for weeks now. Some areas have had low water pressure while others simply had no water at all. Places like Tsakani, Benoni, Etwatwa, Daveyton, Geluskdal and Langaville have been among those most affected by the current situation. Meanwhile, the City has been providing water tankers to these areas in an effort to mitigate the threat.

Since the 2014/15 financial year, the City of Ekurhuleni has invested millions in new and additional reservoirs including the biggest water tower in the Africa, which is based in Benoni, as a water security measure. The City has also made major gains in dealing with the issue of non-revenue water and water leaks.

Meanwhile, as of last night water supply is steadily improving in some of the affected areas.