Gauteng water consumption remains very high, warns DWS
The Department of Water and Sanitation says discussions are ongoing to address the high water consumption in Gauteng.
Director-General Sean Phillips addressed the media on Friday on preparations for the Lesotho Highlands Water Tunnel maintenance project.
In March, Rand Water warned the province’s three metros - Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, that its system was on the verge of collapse.
The crisis has been especially acute in Johannesburg, where some suburbs have gone days without any water.
While the six-month maintenance shutdown of tunnels in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is not expected to disrupt the water supply, Phillips said the consumption issue needs to be addressed.
He said Gauteng’s water consumption percentage remained extremely high.
“The average consumption of water in Gauteng, per capita, is much higher than the international average, which is an anomaly given that we are a water-scarce country and we have to get our water through a very expensive engineering system.
“To avoid water supply disruptions in the future, we need to speedily complete the construction of phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands project. The municipality also needs to reduce its leaks and implement other projects to improve its resilience.
“Everyone in Gauteng needs to use water sparingly,” Phillps warned.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently authorised the Special Investigation Unit to investigate allegations of serious maladministration and corruption at the department.
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