Power failure, high temperatures blamed for Joburg reservoir levels

This is according to Joburg Water’s managing director Ntshavheni Mukwevho.

Mukwevho made the remarks at a media briefing where Joburg Water and City Power gave an update on the challenges encountered with the city's water supply.

"It's the combination of the power failure that we experience at the plant. The issue of the high demand that didn't give us a long period or the cycle for us to be able to bring back the system.

"So we are at a situation whereby at our bulk supplier Rand Water pumping what they need to pump for Eikenhof, they will be able to get one of their reservoirs supplying the commando system back to the normal operating level. Then we will be able to get the commando system going."

On Sunday Rand Water's Vereeniging purification works were affected by a power interruption.

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This in turn affected the water supply to the Eikenhof system which supplies the Brixton reservoir and Tower, Crosby reservoir, Hursthill reservoirs, Crown Gardens reservoir and Tower, Linden Tower and Eagles Nest reservoir.

Mukwevho urged Joburg residents to use water sparingly as consumption remains stubbornly high.

He said Rand Water has had to increase the amount of water it is pumping out, which has since led to the low reservoir levels.

"Ordinarily they produce 4400 megalitres per day, but with this high demand that has happened it was pushing them high towards 4900 megalitres."

Meanwhile, Joburg Mayor Dada Morero said the city is in the process of raising R100 billion to upgrade the ailing infrastructure.  

"We took a decision that we will raise the R100 billion infrastructure that we need to upgrade, replenish and build new infrastructure. On Joburg Water, we want to build a new  reservoir just around the area that we are talking about. Just to have enough."