Pretoria - Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu has warned Gauteng municipalities, including the City of Tshwane, of the reckless usage and waste of water following massive water losses due to leaks, burst pipes and influx of informal settlements.
The three Gauteng Metropolitan Councils of Tshwane, Joburg and Ekurhuleni were also advised to stop the mushrooming of informal settlements, which were linked to the massive “unmetered water consumption” to the detriment of the affected municipalities.
Minister Mchunu gave all Gauteng municipalities an ultimatum to improve on its water infrastructure or face his wrath.
Mchunu was speaking to the media after his consultation with various municipal bosses, including mayors, in Pretoria yesterday in which all municipalities detailed their concise plans to save water and fix leaks.
Detailing the severity of water losses in Gauteng, Mchunu said South Africa was considered to be one of the top 30 driest and water-scarce countries in the world, and, he said, water sources were mainly supported by sporadic rainfall, and this rainfall was distributed unevenly in the country and across the seasons.
In Gauteng, he said the province consumes more water than any other province in the country, or in the world.
Of concern to him, he said was “the average water consumption in the country is 233 litres per capita per day, while Gauteng’s average consumption is at least 300 litres per capita per day.
Both these consumption levels are way high when compared to the world average of 173.
“In addition, the non-revenue water is above 40% on average, compared to the international norm of 15%, while physical losses due to leaks and bursts is about 25%.
“Therefore, in order for us to guarantee water security, we build dams to preserve for long term use. In areas where there is no sufficient water due to lack of rain, water is conveyed from water rich areas or catchments through a network of infrastructure such canals and tunnels, pipelines, pump stations to preserve for later use and also through underground water harvesting,” he said.
Mchunu, however, said that there was water in Gauteng, saying the Vaal Dam was more than 103% full.
He allayed the fear of Tshwane residents, who had been experiencing water shortages over the past months, saying the current shortage of supply of water to it and other municipalities was due to the heatwave and malfunction of Rand Water pipes due to the high levels of load shedding.
“The current demand for water in Gauteng is 4 563 megalitres per day, but the supply by Rand Water is less than that per day. The deficit is 396 megalitres which amounts to just 9%. It is the part that we are short of.
“We have a 5% loss in the Rand Water system. We have 45% of non-revenue water. We have to bring that down to 15% like the rest of the world.
“We also have between 20 to 25% of physical loss of water across all municipalities including the Metros. We have to do away with it,” he insisted.
Mchunu said Rand Water, his department, and all Gauteng municipalities had agreed to work jointly together to deal with the problem as a unit.
“In the short term, within this current calendar year 2023, Rand Water has in February commissioned an additional 210Ml/d Reservoir under the Mapleton System in Vlakfontein, aimed to increase water security for part of Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.
“Rand Water is also increasing the treatment capacity at Zuikerbosch from 3 800 Ml/day by a further 600 Ml/day between 2023 and 2025. Of the additional 600 Ml/day, in June 2023, Rand Water will commission 150Ml/day while 300Ml/day will come in 2024 and the 150Ml/day in 2025. The total treatment for Zuilerbosch will therefore be 4 400Ml/day by 2025.
“In the long-term, by 2028 Rand Water is planning to invest R28 billion by constructing additional storage reservoirs for Meredale, Daleside, Klipfontein, Germiston, Hartebeesthoek, Bronberg, Brakpan and Selcouth. By 2028, Rand Water would have increased its storage capacity of treated water from the current number of reservoirs from 60 to 72, while its storage capacity from 6 100 Ml/day to 7 630Ml/day,” Mchunu said
Yesterday, City of Tshwane announced that it has planned an estimated R350 million for the next 24 months, starting in March 2023, to augment new water infrastructure such as reservoirs, bulk pipelines and towers for areas in the Soshanguve, Atteridgeville system and Laudium/ Erasmia system, Mooikloof, Western Centurion, Garsfontein and other surroundings.
Mchunu said the City of Tshwane, however, needs a project investment of not less than R7.8 billion year-on-year for the next 10 years to match its infrastructure backlog and future upgrades.
Other municipalities including Joburg and Ekurhuleni also made pledges worth millions to improve on their water infrastructure.
Pretoria News