South Africa: Minister Gives Rand Water Four Months to Help Fix Gauteng Water Crisis

Water Minister Pemmy Majodina has given Rand Water permission to draw an extra 200 million cubic metres of water per year from the integrated Vaal River system.

The extra allocation runs from February to June, on top of Rand Water’s existing allocation of 1,803 million cubic metres per year.

Majodina said Rand Water fixed equipment failures quickly and restored its normal supply of 5,000 million litres of treated water per day to Gauteng municipalities by 4 February.

But the eight days of reduced supply left many municipal reservoirs empty, with high-lying suburbs hit hardest.

A heatwave in early February made things worse. Areas that still had water used more of it, which slowed the recovery of the overall system.

Majodina said the extra water is only a temporary fix. She told municipalities to ring-fence money from water sales and use it to repair leaks, replace old pipes and cut non-revenue water losses. Municipalities must also remove illegal connections and speed up projects to build more reservoirs and increase pumping capacity.

She encouraged them to work with the private sector to raise money for infrastructure.

Residents should prepare for load-shifting of water, controlled pressure reduction at night and possible level 2 water restrictions.

DA MP Stephen Moore welcomed the extra water abstraction but said it is only a short-term fix. He said municipal failures in Johannesburg and Tshwane have led to repeated water crises.

Without proper maintenance, leak repairs and better management, Moore said, Gauteng will keep facing water shortages.

By Scrolla.