After weeks of denying that there were water level problems, the cities of Joburg and Ekurhuleni have announced austerity measures
Joburg said yesterday that Rand Water had notified it of a further deterioration in the bulk supply system, recommending a higher level of restrictions, said member of the mayoral committee for environmental and infrastructure services Matshidiso
This means that according to city by-laws, level 1 restrictions will be imposed. This doesn’t mean water rationing. Residents aren’t allowed to water their gardens between 6am and 6pm, fill their pools or use hosepipes to wash cars and paved areas
Mfikoe said level 2 restrictions, which would see residents receiving water only during certain times of the day, could be imposed if it didn’t rain soon
“In other words, there will be no water outside these hours. We therefore appeal to all to use water sparingly as we don’t want to reach this situation, “she said.
In Ekurhuleni, a joint operating centre has been established to monitor the situation daily after Bedfordview ran out of water this past weekend
The interruptions occurred when the Signal Hill and Malvern reservoirs ran low.
Stationary 10 kilolitre trucks were sent to the area.
“We aren’t imposing restrictions per se or asking for residents to save during specific hours but we are asking them to use water sparingly,” Mfikoe said.