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Communities experience water shortages despite Rand Water haven completed its maintenance operations in Gauteng, South Africa

Updated: Aug 19

Date: Monday, 19th August 2024

Author: Quinz Atdah Qeqe


Country: South Africa


Source: African Reporter News (Citizen News)


SUMMARY

Despite Rand Waters pipeline maintenance in Gauteng have been concluded on the 31st July 2024, some communities in and outside of the province have experienced a shortage in water supply (Patrick, 2024). Municipalities outside of Gauteng such as the Victor Khanye Municipality in Mpumalanga have been adversely affected amid Rand Water have completed its planned maintenance operations 3 weeks ago (Buda, 2024). A number of Healthcare facilities, residential areas, businesses and schools in and outside of the Gauteng Province have all been severely impacted by a shortage in water supply post Rand Waters planned maintenance operations. Despite this Rand Water has assured affected communities that the water in their areas would be restored as some reservoirs are still recovering from the maintenance operation, hence the possible shortage in water supply.


BACKGROUND

On the 31st of July 2024, Rand Water completed its month long planned maintenance of its pipeline infrastructure and valve systems in Gauteng. The planned maintenance of Rand Waters infrastructure and pumping systems was initiated on the 22nd of June 2024 in Rand Waters response to mitigating a threatening water crisis within its operational areas in Gauteng.


Rand Water conducted maintenance in numerous municipalities across the Gauteng Province including the City of Johannesburg and the City Of Tshwane, with numerous communities in these municipalities haven experienced a shortage in the water supply during the course of Rand Waters planned maintenance operations. Water has been restored to most communities within the different municipalities across Gauteng, yet in some communities residents have indicated that their taps still ran dry despite Rand Water haven completed its maintenance in the municipality.


Some reports noted that the complete restoration of water to the affected communities would take up to two weeks(Sibeko, 2024). Communities in the municipality of the City of Ekurhuleni such as: Daveyton, Nigel and Benoni have experienced a shortage in their water supply, with some residential areas in these communities haven had no water for days – post Rand Waters planned maintenance. Despite the crippling situation in some parts of Ekurhuleni, water tankers were delivered by the municipality to mitigate the impending water crisis in the affected communities.


During the final phase of Rand Waters planned maintenance, residents of Kwa Thema(Extension 4) in the Ekurhuleni municipality indicated that though water tankers were supplied to their area, it was not enough for the entire community (The Citizen News, 2024). There were reports of elderly people waiting in long lines to collect water from the water tankers supplied to Extension 4, yet they returned to their residence with empty buckets as the water tankers had run dry. Further reports indicated that local clinics in Kwa Thema had been closed due to a lack of water, leaving many residents vulnerable especially the elderly and those with chronic conditions.


Areas outside of Gauteng have also been affected amid the completion of Rand Waters planned maintenance. The community of Delmas in the local municipality of Victor Khanye have been affected by a severe shortage in water supply since Rand Waters planned maintenance operations in June (Buda, 2024). Schools in Delmas have been affected; some schools have been temporarily closed due to the water shortage in the area. Local clinics in the area of Delmas has also experienced a shortage in water supply, leaving these facilities in critical conditions as toilets has not been operational while some patients had received inadequate attention and unsanitary support due to a shortage in water supply.


Despite all these concerns Rand Water had noted that in some areas water reservoirs would take time to be filled to capacity before water could be completely restored to all the affected areas. In addition to this Rand Water has expressed optimism of its completed maintenance operations highlighting that water security would be made more sustainable in the long run in its operational areas due to the maintenance of its pipeline infrastructure and valve systems (Selane, 2024).


REFERENCES

  1. African Reporter News. 2024. Ramalilo Makhobela (59) Returned Home With Empty Buckets. Image. The Citizen News. August 02nd. https://www-citizen-coza.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.citizen.co.za/african-reporter/newsheadlines/2024/08/02/residents-are-desperate-amid-the-watercrisis/amp?amp_js_v=0.1&amp_gsa=1#webview=1. Date of access: 12th August 2024

  2. Buda, C. 2024. Delmas Residents Endure Ongoing Water Crisis Amid Rand Water Maintenance. IOL News. August 1st. https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/mpumalanga/delmas-residentsendure-ongoing-water-crisis-amid-rand-water-maintenance-32fb748e-c5cc-4ce4-90cc3eda9e746853. Date of access: 12th August 2024

  3. Patrick, A. 2024. Taps Still Dry For Some Joburg Residents Two Weeks After Rand Water Maintenance Completed. News24. August 12th. https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/taps-still-dry-for-some-joburg-residents-twoweeks-after-rand-water-maintenance-completed-20240812. Date of access: 12th August 2024

  4. Selane, E. 2024. ‘Look At The Bigger Picture’: Rand Water Maintenance Nears Completion, Despite Ongoing Water Shortages. The Citizen News. July 30th. https://www-citizen-coza.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/look-at-the-bigger-picture-randwater-maintenance-nears-completion-despite-ongoing-watershortages/amp/?amp_js_v=0.1&amp_gsa=1#webview=1. Date of access: 12th August 2024

  5. Sibeko, N. 2024. Update Rand Water Maintenance: May Take Two Weeks For Water To Be Fully Restored In Some Areas. The Citizen News. July 29th. https://www.citizen.co.za/benoni-citytimes/news-headlines/2024/07/29/update-rand-water-maintenance-may-take-two-weeks-for-waterto-be-fully-restored-in-some-areas/. Date of access: 12th August 2024

  6. TimesLive. 2024. Rand Water Finalises Month-Long Maintenance Work This Week. July 30th. https://www-timeslive-co-za.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.timeslive.co.za/amp/news/southafrica/2024-07-30-rand-water-finalises-month-long-maintenance-work-thisweek/?amp_js_v=0.1&amp_gsa=1#webview=1. Date of access: 12th August 2024

  7. The Citizen News. 2024. Residents Are Desperate Amid The Water Crisis. African Reporter. August 02nd. https://www-citizen-co-za.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.citizen.co.za/africanreporter/news-headlines/2024/08/02/residents-are-desperate-amid-the-watercrisis/amp?amp_js_v=0.1&amp_gsa=1#webview=1. Date of access: 12th August 202.




Lekwauwa Aluba

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