The new task team comprised of community members will be tasked to find solutions to the water crisis Photo Pexels
Johannesburg – Amidst a prolonged water crisis in Johannesburg, community leaders and concerned residents convened for a pivotal discussion with city officials. Present at the meeting were Kabelo Gwamanda, the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Jack Sekwaila, a Member of the Mayoral Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD) in the City of Johannesburg, and Ntshavheni Mukwevho, the Managing Director of Johannesburg Water. Their collective goal was to address the intensifying challenges by providing clarity and devising a comprehensive strategic plan to resolve the crisis.
Gwamanda commenced the meeting by expressing his empathy for the residents’ profound frustration and the challenging conditions they were enduring. However, he made clear the purpose of the meeting was not to engage just in dialogue but to actively present concrete solutions to the public.
“The objective of this meeting is to get members from the community actively involved so that they can experience our commitment. My commitment, in addition to the overarching [goal], is that we will not politicise service delivery. We will not do that. We are going to take what the community wants the forum to prioritise and we are going to implement it. You are present and you will serve as witnesses to the formation of this task team … This meeting’s objective is to derive a solution that we can all use as our point of reference. We will therefore agree, provide timelines for feedback and we’ll get inputs from the community at large.”
Proposed solutions to the water crisis and community involvement
The water crisis, originating in 2020, has been compounded by various factors such as power failures and infrastructure limitations. These challenges have not only impacted water availability but have also led to significant frustration among residents, who have endured this situation for far too long. Acknowledging the urgency of the matter, Sekwaila emphasised the need to prioritise infrastructure development, specifically investing in water purification plants which is a long term solution.
“As a city we must prioritise our own infrastructure project. There’s not any other way we can go about it. It’s unavoidable. We must invest largely in water purification plans in Johannesburg which we don’t have. I’m saying we should do this because we must insulate the city against any negative impact that is happening at Rand Water. Whether it is a power failure or a planned shutdown, it impacts Johannesburg very negatively and it takes about two to three weeks to recover which is time we don’t have. As there is no other alternative, Rand Water becomes the only supplier of water to Johannesburg. Hence we find ourselves in these kinds of situations.”
Other projects such as pumping stations in high lying areas were also discussed so communities do not have to rely on free flowing water from reservoirs. This has proven counterproductive in the past..Sekwaila maintains that there is political determination to address these issues, but the city lacks the necessary funds for these projects. Providing water tankers, while essential, is financially burdensome and could deplete the city’s resources. Therefore, it is crucial to explore sustainable, long-term solutions. Sekwaila emphasises the importance of residents minimising their water usage, urging active participation in water conservation efforts.
Prior to the meeting, Sekwaila and Mukwevho convened to discuss strategies for mitigating the water crisis. They delved into long-term solutions, focusing on infrastructure development, as well as immediate measures, such as the unconventional approach of hoping for rain in the city of Johannesburg.
“[It must rain] for a week or more because during that time people can’t water their gardens, can’t clean their pavements and so on. The water usage becomes minimised and we’re able to recover some of the reservoirs in Johannesburg. Unfortunately, we can’t rely on what should happen naturally. We must design means within ourselves to safeguard the interest of residents of Johannesburg.”
SMread: Robertsham Residents beg for help amid month-long water shortage
Technical background
According to Mukwevho the current issue started on 24 August after a power failure which led to several events happening that “restricted the system from recovering”. Crown Gardens reservoir, which supplies Southdale, Mondeor, Ormonde, Robertsham and surrounding areas, is extremely reliant on Rand Water, explained Mukwevho. This reliance on Rand Water is one of the causes of the water crisis in these areas.
“This particular area, where we are, is part of what we call Rand Water Pump Station Eikenhof. It supplies water to Meredale reservoir and it supplies water to Crown Gardens reservoir and tower. In the last few weeks things were hopeful in that we’ll get Crown Gardens reservoir having good [water] levels in such a way that we open the outlet fully, we open the tower. The function of that reservoir is 100% dependent on the level of Meredale reservoir. We were able to get it [Crown Gardens reservoir] to almost 40% or so in the morning. We close it every evening and we open it in the morning so we are able to supply and start pumping water to both towers. However, we were still at the point that today we can’t open it 100%. That’s why the high lying areas of Robertsham and other areas, you’ll find that they are still without water because we could only open it 80%.”
The reason for only opening it 80% is the concern that opening it any further will cause the reservoir to be completely drained. This scenario would necessitate dispatching water tankers to the entire community, incurring significant costs for the city, as explained by Mukwevho. The challenge in refilling the reservoir completely is connected to the state of the Meredale reservoir, which needs to maintain a minimum level of 15%.
“If it drops less than 10%, the volume that we require to meet the demand for this community, we’ll never get it. Why? Simply because as some of you may be aware or know about how hydraulics works, you need to be able to get the pressure that you require to be able to push the necessary volume that you require. As of this morning [Tuesday] Meredale reservoir, which supplies the Crown Gardens, was sitting at 6% which is why we could not really open the reservoir 100%.”
Mukwevho stated that Johannesburg Water has been supporting Rand Water in reservoir recovery efforts by closing both affected and unaffected reservoirs every night. This measure ensures a water supply for the following day. However, as long as Rand Water’s reservoirs remain below capacity, it becomes challenging to obtain the required volume for areas at higher elevations, such as Robertsham.
On the issue of South Hills tower which supplies water to Linmeyer, Risana, South Hills and surrounding areas, it was being supplied by Meyershill reservoir before being decommissioned, according to Mukwevho. To ensure the tower functions optimally, the upstream reservoir must maintain a specific level (30%). Currently, that reservoir, for the past month, has been sitting at around 20%. Pump stations’ functionality is hindered when reservoir levels drop below required thresholds. Ensuring the necessary pressure for pumps requires meticulous monitoring and adjustment, adding another layer of complexity to the crisis.
Creating a task team to solve the water crisis
Following the statements from the officials, two community members highlighted the crucial need to establish a task team dedicated to resolving the crisis. In response, Gwamanda assured them that a task team would indeed be formed, with the city’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) serving as its chairperson.Gwamanda promised that he will conduct a proper oversight of the task team to “ensure there are no barriers” and this is “the highest level of escalation”.
“I do not want to lead an administration that’s going to fail and the failure of the administration will be determined by whether or not we are able to collaborate with communities in finding solutions. My commitment here is that we will provide the solutions that our communities need in partnership.”
Gwamanda also requested the councillors to speak to the COO, explaining the issues they are facing within the community. As they understand the community better, they can make an informed recommendation. It was proposed the task team should consist of two community members from each ward as well as members who have the technical know-how, expertise and understanding of the situation.
“I need people that feel those challenges in a daily lived experience. To be the ones that make the recommendations so that it is not tainted in any formal way. I’m hoping that the counsellors would select people that are going to contribute effectively. People that are going to contribute meaningfully. I’m stating this in the presence of every community member here so that they understand that this is a clean, fair and it’s not a tender. So there’s no preference for anyone who will be selected. It’s volunteering to provide a solution in partnership with the city.”
