“Due to Rand Water’s uninterrupted load shifting from Eikenhof to recover the Palmiet system, Johannesburg Water’s Commando system levels have worsened from critically low to empty,” said Johannesburg Water in a statement on Sunday morning.
Residents in the Hursthill reservoirs zone will have no water, according to the statement.
The deepening water supply crisis in the province has prompted an “emergency meeting”, which is expected to be held with the Department of Water and Sanitation on Monday, 17 October to devise a firm course of action to bring about sustainable solutions to Gauteng’s water supply challenges.
Rand Water’s load shift crashes Johannesburg Water’s Commando System. #JoburgUpdates.^PM pic.twitter.com/4ISKDiWpHD
— Johannesburg Water (@JHBWater) October 16, 2022
Parts of Gauteng are wrestling with Level 2 water restrictions which were initially implemented due to power failures at Rand Water’s wastewater treatment plant in Vereeniging, which affected water systems and reservoirs.
Water authorities have urged residents to reduce water usage to replenish the reservoirs after demand soared due to the heat wave in Johannesburg and rolling blackouts.
“Reducing demand remains a key priority,” said Johannesburg Water spokesperson Puleng Mopeli.
The affected areas include:
- Montgomery Park
- Westbury
- Hursthill
- Greymont
- Coronationville
- Newlands
- Northcliff
- Newclare
- Auckland Park
- Albertville
- Melville
- Richmond
- Parkview
- Emmarentia
- Greenside.
“Alternate water supply is being provided to other affected areas through stationary water tanks and mobile tankers,” read the statement.
Joburg Water reiterated calls to residents to report any leaks or pipe bursts in the affected areas, which may affect the system’s recovery.
In the statement, Mopeli said the Helen Joseph Hospital in Auckland Park and Rahima Moosa Mother & Child Hospital in Coronationville had adequate water supply.
Both Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa hospitals have water tankers. Helen Joseph Hospital has experienced dips in water pressure, but no cut-off of supply — which is in part thanks to the borehole that Gift of the Givers drilled last year for the hospital when it was facing water shortages.
Read more in Daily Maverick: "Images reveal how water shedding brings disease and indignity to two major Johannesburg hospitals"
UPDATE: In response to queries from Daily Maverick on Sunday evening, Johannesburg Water communications officer Nondumiso Mabuza said: “The status currently is that the Crown Gardens reservoir, [in the south of Johannesburg], will remain closed [at] 50% to assist building capacity to the current system and low water to no water expected.”
Mabuza said that the areas covered by the Commando system are:
- Westbury
- Melville
- Brixton
- Crosby
- Coronationville
- Montclare
- Janhofmeyer
- Vrededorp
- Newclare
- Westdene
- Sophiatown
- Auckland Park
- Greymont
- Richmond
- Northcliff
- Albertville
- Parkview
- Emmarentia
- Greenside
- Newlands
- Hursthill
- Montgomery Park
Mabuza was unable to provide details on interventions to restore water to the affected areas at the time of publication. DM