Lesufi: Water supply biggest threat facing Gauteng
Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the state of the province’s water supply poses a massive threat to Gauteng.
In March, residents were urged to use water sparingly following warnings of a potential water supply crisis.
The warning came as Rand Water’s supply system was “on the verge of collapse,” with water storage for the bulk supplier sitting below 30%.
The water entity subsequently embarked on a month-long infrastructure maintenance campaign to improve its old infrastructures.
On Tuesday, Lesufi responded to a question by the DA's Solly Msimanga on the reasons for splitting the he Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development departments.
The premier said the two portfolios had to be separated because a dedicated team is needed to improve the water supply.
“Water is a scarce resource. In this particular province, we had almost two months where people were without water. The main reason is not that we don’t have water but that almost 37% of water is lost through illegal connections, and the number of water that Rand Water can get from the Department of Water and Sanitation, we have reached that sealing.
“So, we need a dedicated team to go and look for these water leakages and assist municipalities.”
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