Joburg’s worst water wasters named as metro urges all to conserve

The worst water-wasters in Johannesburg are in Alexandra, the city centre and pockets of Soweto, authorities say, as they appeal to residents to cut down on consumption.

The struggle to meet demand comes as the critical City Power Eikenhof substation, which supplies Rand Water’s Eikenhof pump station with electricity, was again tripped by lightning at 8.45pm on Monday.

Rand Water said a City Power technical team was dispatched to the site to reset. “The extent of the power trip on Rand Water’s pumping has not been established. An update will be provided once the City Power technical team has reset the substation,” it said.

Earlier in March, a similar event led to technical problems and water outages of up to 10 days in some suburbs.

On Tuesday morning, Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said: “The Eikenhof pump station was last night affected by a lightning strike that struck the Eldorado substation, which feeds Orlando and subsequently Eikenhof. This occurred at about 8.45pm during the storms that covered Johannesburg. The City Power technical teams successfully restored power at about 11pm.”

Some water systems were affected, including the Waterval tower affecting Linden 1 tower; Orlando East reservoir; Honeydew reservoir and tower; Brixton reservoir; and Hursthill 1 and 2 reservoirs.

A comprehensive assessment will be made after the morning’s peak demand, Gwamanda said.

Earlier, Rand Water said its systems were “low but stable”. However, it was experiencing an upward trend in water consumption in most areas of the Gauteng metros and was meeting the three mayors in the province to find ways to address the problem.

"Daily technical team meetings between Rand Water and Gauteng metros to discuss and implement technical solutions continue to take place … in efforts to reduce their water consumption and avert interrupted supply."

Johannesburg Water has identified the areas in which consumption is too high. Alexandra’s residents took pole position.

"The Sandton 1 and 2 meters are under strain due to high water consumption and are counted as one of the top 10 highest consuming meters in the City of Johannesburg.

"Furthermore, Alexandra has been identified as being the highest water consumer within the Sandton 1 and 2 meters supply zone. As such, Johannesburg Water urges Alexandra residents to take immediate action to reduce their water consumption. This is essential in alleviating the pressure on the system and ensuring a sustainable water supply for all residents in the long term."

Residents are advised to report any leaks or burst pipes to Johannesburg Water promptly; not to leave taps dripping and ensure that internal leaks are repaired promptly; to wash their car on the grass to simultaneously water their lawn; to consider shortening showering time or opt for a shallow bath to conserve water; and to re-use grey water for flushing toilets, cleaning household areas and watering plants.

Residents are also requested to repair leaks on their properties and to observe level-1 water restrictions, which are implemented from September to March. These prohibit the use of hosepipes to water gardens, wash cars, clean driveways or fill up swimming pools and water features between 6am and 6pm. Instead, the use of grey water is encouraged.

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