Ilegal mining adding to Gauteng's water woes - Lesufi
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has sounded the alarm over the water supply crisis in the province.
Lesufi and his MECs briefed the media on Wednesday on the progress made in the first 100 days in office.
The government has already established a task team to assist the various municipalities struggling with erratic water supply.
Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are the two worst-affected provinces.
Rand Water will be deployed in Gauteng, while the Umngeni-Uthukela Water Board will assist struggling municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.
Various issues in several municipalities in the two provinces have led to communities experiencing water shortages in recent weeks.
Lesufi said the problem has been exacerbated by illegal water connections.
"Our problems are three areas, one which is difficult to manage because of the zama zamas, there are also all forms of illegal connections where people are illegally connecting to the water," he said.
"The Gauteng provincial government has been working with all stakeholders and spheres of government to address the water challenges facing the province.
“Gauteng does not suffer from water shortage, but among the biggest challenges are illegal connections and water leakages.
“We are putting together a team of law enforcement agencies that will assist us in disconnecting all illegal water connections in the province,” the premier added.
Lesufi confirmed that all eleven municipalities in the province have agreed to enforce level 1 water restrictions, which will curb non-essential water usage, including filling swimming pools, washing cars with hoses and watering gardens during peak hours.
"Our water usage needs to reflect that we are currently facing a crisis, and therefore, we call on all our residents to use water sparingly,” he said.
“In partnership with municipalities, we have launched a water data hub, also known as a water dashboard.
“The dashboard will help residents keep track of shortages and repair issues in their areas and understand how bad things are.
“We developed the water dashboard to provide residents with meaningful, reliable, and up-to-date information, enabling them to make informed decisions about their water use," added Lesufi.
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