Joburg residents urged to reduce water consumption amid ‘critically low’ reservoirs

Johannesburg Water is urging residents to reduce consumption as the utility battles as high usage during the current heatwave that is affecting reservoirs and water towers.

“Johannesburg Water’s network in various parts of the city is severely strained due to high water demand (usage). The direct impact is extremely low levels within various reservoirs and towers,” it said in a statement on Tuesday morning.

The affected complexes are:

• Commando system: affecting residents of Crosby, Brixton and Hursthill. All three systems are critically low to empty.
• Soweto systems: Eagle Nest, Glenvista and Naturena reservoirs are at critically low levels.
• Central systems: Crown Gardens and Alan Manor reservoirs are at critically low levels. Pumps supplying Crown Gardens tower have been isolated due to low reservoir levels.
• South Hills Tower is on bypass supply due to lower supply from Rand Water’s Meyer’s Hill reservoir.

The Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph hospitals are also affected, and are being supplied via mobile water tankers. Water is also being provided to other affected areas via stationary and mobile tankers.

On Friday, the utility said repeated power trips at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch purification plant had affected various Rand Water pump stations and reservoirs, leading to reduced supply at the Commando Road meter, Rand Water direct feeds, as well as the Roodepoort, Central and Soweto systems. The reduction in flow had also seen several Johannesburg Water reservoirs and towers experiencing critically low to empty levels.

TimesLIVE