The main challenge that hinders Joburg Water from providing uninterrupted water supply to residents is due to “inconsistent” supply it gets from Rand Water.
This is according to Joburg Water’s acting general manager for operations Logan Munsamy.
Munsamy was speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, where the entity was giving an update on the status of water supply in Johannesburg.
Munsamy said the operational challenges that Rand Water face have a negative impact on Joburg Water’s ability to provide reliable water to residents.
Inconsistent water supply
“Our main challenge is an inconsistent water supply. If we have consistent water supply, it means our reservoirs remain full, and when they are full, we have no interruption,” said Munsamy.
“We have an inconsistent water supply because we purchase our water from Rand Water and it distributes the water to us. So having an inconsistent water supply leads to not reaching full capacity in our reservoirs.
“Therefore, it takes time for our reservoirs to recover when there is inconsistent supply.”
Munsamy said Rand Water is experiencing operational challenges including loadshedding and power trips on its pumps.
“This affects their ability to supply water to us. Rand Water extracts water from the integrated valve system, treat it, purify it and distribute it to us.
“The operational challenges have made it difficult for for Rand Water to supply water consistently to us.”
He added that loadshedding also affects Joburg Water’s ability to distribute water, noting that the entity continues to dispatch water tankers in all affected areas across the city.
However, said Munsamy, the roaming water tankers sometimes have little to no water supply during certain periods.
Construction projects
He said the entity is working on completing water infrastructure construction projects in order to provide uninterrupted and sustainable water.
“There is room for improvement. Our systems are increasing in terms of demand. There is strain on our network and we are looking at future upgrades,” he said.
“Our construction projects are limited in terms of financial resources and we have a backlog [of incomplete projects]. So, it is going to take time [to provide uninterrupted water supply].”
In October, Joburg Water said the construction of the new Crosby pump station reservoir was anticipated to commence in September 2024 at a cost of R130-million.
The duration of the project is anticipated to be 16 months to December 2025.
The entity said the project is currently at the tender process stage and it will be presented for evaluation at a meeting later in November.
It added that the Brixton reservoir tower is also under construction and will be completed in March 2025 at a cost of R316-million.
