Johannesburg: The City of Johannesburg is set to implement the throttling of water supply between 9 pm and 4 am, starting this Thursday, to enable reservoir levels to recover overnight. The announcement was made by Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, during a media briefing held in Johannesburg on Monday, following an urgent meeting on Sunday to address water challenges in the city.
According to South African Government News Agency, Minister Majodina reported that the Sunday meeting reached a unanimous agreement on the causes of the water supply interruptions and outlined necessary actions to restore a stable water supply to Johannesburg residents. The 2023 No Drop report highlighted that the average water consumption in Gauteng is 279 litres per person per day, which is 60% above the global average, raising concerns as South Africa is among the top 30 driest countries globally.
The report also indicated that water losses in Johannesburg stand at 35%, compared to the international norm of 15%. Th
e No Drop programme, focusing on water conservation and demand management, aims to ensure effective water distribution systems. Majodina emphasized the need for a multi-pronged approach to reduce water losses, including improving billing, revenue collection, pressure management, and replacing ageing pipes.
Efforts are underway, with the department, Rand Water, provincial government, and all Gauteng municipalities collaborating with civil society, business leaders, and experts to raise awareness on water conservation. An independent body, the Platform for a Water Secure Gauteng, has been established to manage this campaign, with a dashboard on the Department of Water and Sanitation website providing public updates on water supply status in Gauteng.
Johannesburg Water is implementing several measures to save water, such as continuous throttling from 14 November, procuring contractors for emergency repairs, increasing standby teams for leaks and burst pipes, and enhancing weekend maintenance to improve respons
e times. Other efforts include addressing illegal connections in informal settlements, installing advanced pressure management systems, and accelerating leak detection and repairs.
Furthermore, the city is working with National Treasury to establish a Public Private Partnership for reducing non-revenue water, leveraging private sector funding and expertise. Majodina expressed confidence that these measures will be implemented with urgency, with weekly meetings scheduled to monitor progress.