Thirsty Christmas on the cards for Gauteng residents amid Rand Water's lack of supply
The City of Joburg is the largest consumer of water in Gauteng, using more than Tshwane and Ekurhuleni combined.
A water tanker stationed in Johannesburg to assist residents still reeling from a mass outage on 7 March 2024. Picture: X/@JHBWater
JOHANNESBURG - Rand Water has warned that households in Gauteng could spend Christmas with dry taps if there's no solution to the water supply challenges.
This is due to the drastic increase in water demand in the province, escalated by the current high temperatures.
The bulk water supplier provided an update on its systems during the Gauteng government's local government summit in Muldersdrift on Wednesday.
The City of Joburg is the largest consumer of water in Gauteng, using more than Tshwane and Ekurhuleni combined.
READ: Gauteng municipalities facing impending disaster due to critically low reservoirs – Rand Water
Rand Water has now exceeded the maximum amount of water it can draw from the country’s dams.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says 33% of water across the province is lost due to leakages.
READ: Rand Water imposes level 1 restrictions in Gauteng. Here’s what it means…
"We are going to immediately deploy a war on water losses. Each and every municipality should invest, with the support of rand water and ourselves, to detect water losses," said Lesufi.
He said a committee has been appointed to ensure Gauteng households enjoy the festive season with access to running water.
Previously, the Water and Sanitation Department warned that the next five years would be challenging for households in the province.