Water tankers dispatched to parts of Midrand with dry taps, says Morero

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero said that water tankers are being dispatched to support areas still without water in Midrand.

A gradual restoration of water to parts of the suburb began on Tuesday, but pressure is expected to remain low.

Morero said the Grand Central reservoir in Midrand, which supplies areas including Glen Austin and parts of Waterfall, remains offline.

The disruption, which began on 26 January, was triggered by a leak and a power failure at the Zuikerbosch treatment plant, and a subsequent pipe burst that affected one of the largest reservoirs supplying parts of Johannesburg and Tshwane metros.

At the height of the crisis, water levels at all five reservoirs were too low to allow pumping, leaving Midrand taps dry.

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Morero said Grand Central failed to reach satisfactory operating levels and has now been isolated to prevent further strain on the fragile network.

“We are at the point where our reservoirs in this area have actually recovered quite significantly, but not at the level at which we want them to be at.”

As residents grapple with reliable supply, four new reservoirs and three water towers are currently under construction in Midrand.

Morero told journalists on Tuesday that the infrastructure forms part of long-term planning to meet the area’s growing demand and to reduce risks of future outages.

He further confirmed that while most reservoirs are recovering, the Grand Central reservoir remains offline.

“And in that regard, we are building four reservoirs and three towers that we are building in Midrand. One tower is almost at completion. And we will announce once it is completed. That will then assist us into the future as part of our future planning. To ensure that we are able to provide water to the residents of Midrand in particular.”