• Rand Water says that consumption in Johannesburg is too high and has asked consumers to use less.
• This is despite as much as 44 percent of water being used is non-revenue water lost to leaks and theft.
• Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda has yet to take accountability for the failings within his city but has said 90 percent of suburbs have water again.

You’re using too much water says Rand Water and Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda. The former has highlighted the worsening levels of reservoirs in Gauteng while the mayor spoke with 702’s Bongani Bingwa.

As regards Rand Water, on Monday afternoon it reported that the percentage of its total reserve capacity currently sat at 30 percent. In response, the utility has asked the municipalities it supplies to reduce consumption which is reportedly very high.

One would think that because of this, the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Water would move quickly to resolve leaks and other damage which pump countless litres into the ground. As Bongani Bingwa pointed out to reggae music fan and mayor Gwamanda, as much as 44 percent of water used in Johannesburg is non-revenue water meaning it’s either stolen or lost to leaks.

The mayor noted that the challenges faced by Rand Water were related to overconsumption but said that his teams would be “looking at the water leaks” which doesn’t inspire much confidence. Fortunately for the mayor, he may not have to leave the comfort of his armchair to find the leaks.

Johannesburg residents on social media highlight leaks that often run for days on end before being attended to. The leaks often result in residents around that leak having no water at all and frankly, the mayor and his team aren’t doing enough, quickly enough to make a difference.

Much like the mayor’s interview with 702, there is a very blaise attitude to resolving these leaks. Worse still, Johannesburg Water’s slowness to resolve these leaks often leads to roads and other surrounding infrastructure being damaged.

The mayor says that 90 percent of suburbs in Johannesburg have water but with reservoir levels dipping ever lower, there’s no knowing how long that will last.

[Image – congerdesign from Pixabay]