Johannesburg - Johannesburg Water says its infrastructure is showing steady improvement after struggling with water shortages in parts of the city for a couple of weeks.
The water woes left taps dry and dirty toilets, subjecting residents to an unhygienic environment, which many expressed concern about.
Residents from areas in the south of Joburg were left frustrated after being without water for over 10 days.
Robertsham resident Chantel Boyce expressed concern over the lack of water.
“It is shocking that during Human Rights Month, we as the people are deprived of water, which is a right; our rights are violated. We need water to survive. We rely on water tankers, which we are grateful to have, but they are not enough. Our toilets are stinking; this is not right at all,” said Boyce.
Another resident, Neo Thabo, said it was very painful not to have water for two weeks. “We went for about two weeks without water, and I felt like life was at a standstill,” Thabo said.
The entity said at the weekend their systems were stabilising while pumping commenced at Crown Gardens reservoir.
“Johannesburg Water infrastructure is showing steady improvement after struggling with water shortages in parts of the city. The Eagles Nest, Alan Manor, Naturena, Linden, Honeydew, and Boschkop systems are stabilising and well on their way back to normal operations,” said Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala.
She said the Crown Gardens system had improved overnight, and pumping at the reservoir had commenced.
Shabalala said the entity’s technical teams started pumping via the Crown Gardens reservoir and tower early on Saturday. She added that high-lying areas would start receiving water as the system gradually filled up.
Shabalala said on Saturday morning that the outlet of the reservoir was partially opened to allow for the system to start increasing volume, hence the residents in the low-lying areas started to receive water.
“Johannesburg Water urges residents to minimise consumption as the system has not recovered fully,” she said.
Shabalala said water tankers would continue to be supplied in the area.
In the Commando system (which comprises the Brixton, Crosby, and Hursthill reservoirs and towers), Shabalala said the Hursthill 2 reservoir remains critical, while the rest of the systems were in recovery mode, especially Brixton. Shabalala said residents in high-lying areas were still struggling with low water pressure.
She said the entity’s technical teams would continue to monitor the system and were anticipating that normal operations at the Brixton system may soon commence.
She said that the entity would continue to provide alternative water supplies to critical areas, with 17 roaming tankers deployed today.
Last month, Joburg mayor Thapelo Amad announced that the city, through Johannesburg Water, had invested more than R400 million, which would be used over the next 18 months to build and upgrade the bulk water infrastructure, especially along the Commando system (Crosby and Brixton), always the hardest hit by water shortages.
The Star