Water levels at some of the largest reservoirs in Tshwane are continuing to decline. Despite the call on residents to use water sparingly, reservoirs and systems supplying the east and western areas remain low.
The Soshanguve reservoir level is at around 25% while the Laudium reservoir is also low at 23%.
The city is expected to run dry if the supply does not improve. It says this is due to a combination of insufficient supply from Rand Water and high water consumption.
The Utility Services and Regional Operation & Coordination MMC, Daryl Johnston says despite the water restrictions to the City of Tshwane, Rand Water’s reservoirs are still not recovering.
“What I found was exactly what I feared and what we have been cautioning about all week since Rand Water started limiting their supply of water to Tshwane. We have run out of water in several reservoirs, and more and more areas are at risk of running dry so long as water usage remains high,” he said.
Rand Water Spokesperson Makenosi Maroo says the utility has introduced a system that gives it full control of the water supply.
“The flow control management system is a system that will ensure that Rand Water will take full control of the water supply. This means we no longer rely on consumers to reduce their consumption … we are monitoring the situation. We are still requesting consumers to use water sparingly and we are in communication with our customers who are in municipalities,” said Maroo.
While residents remain frustrated after a week of dry taps, Maroo says they can’t tell at this stage when water will be fully restored.
“We are more dependent on how consumers are using water. Remember, we are introducing the system, the flow control but we still supply water. So, it’s up to consumers to use water sparingly,” said Maroo.
She has also refuted rumours that the water shortages are due to the city’s insolvency.
“We have an agreement with our clients and obviously, I’m not going to give figures to say how much Tshwane is owing, but that has nothing to do with how much Tshwane owes us. This has to do with high consumption. If it was the case there would be no water completely in Tshwane. It has nothing to do with the debt that Tshwane owes us,” she said.
The city says it has put in place provisions such as water tankers in affected areas.
