Johannesburg’s water crisis is worsening, with 22 reservoirs leaking.
These reservoirs are currently undergoing renovations, a process that will take time, according to Logan Munsamy, senior manager at Johannesburg Water.
Despite ongoing repair efforts, Munsamy highlighted that illegal water connections remain a major obstacle, contributing to persistent disruptions.
To combat the city’s water woes, Johannesburg Water has invested in noise loggers designed to detect leaks in the pipeline network.
During a media briefing on Thursday, the utility outlined the current water challenges, recent developments, and the strategies in place to manage the crisis.
The briefing came in the wake of protests in various parts of Johannesburg, with residents expressing frustration over the city’s failure to ensure consistent water supply.
Westbury residents, in particular, took to the streets to demand action after enduring prolonged water shortages.
Other areas of the city have also faced extended outages, relying heavily on water tankers for relief.
Adding to the challenges, Johannesburg Water announced a scheduled water interruption from December 6 to December 9 due to an upgrade at the Hector Norris pump station.
This upgrade will leave residents in multiple suburbs without water for 72 hours. The city is currently under level 1 water restrictions.
Munsamy explained that Westbury’s water supply issues were exacerbated by City Power’s maintenance work, which affected the Eikenhof pumping station.
Although there has been slight improvement, the system is recovering slowly.
Efforts to curb illegal water connections have also been met with difficulty.
Munsamy revealed that over 18 illegal connections in hijacked buildings and informal settlements in the CBD have been cut off.
However, the utility faces ongoing challenges in addressing these illegal taps, which drain municipal resources and contribute to significant water loss.
The City of Johannesburg has pledged to address the situation, promising further action to manage the crisis and restore reliable water supply to affected areas.
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