Joburg Water to use “Water Shifting” to address shortages

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Johannesburg Water says plans to curb water losses and improve capacity at reservoirs in and around Johannesburg are well under way. The water utility says “Water Shifting” which involves moving large volumes of water from an area with access water, to that with low water access will be a popular term, as it grapples with high water demands and slow recovery times for strained Gauteng reservoirs.

Joburg Water also assured residents supplied water by tankers is sourced from Joburg Water’s reservoirs and is safe for consumption. Prolonged power cuts and equipment failure at water pump stations adversely affect water volumes in reservoir networks to the City of Joburg, Tshwane, Rustenburg and Mogale City.

Increased water demands due to high temperatures, water lost to leaks and ageing infrastructure have led to a situation where some Gauteng residents go without water for prolonged periods of time.

“600 000 mega litres per annum is where we should be, currently we are sitting slightly above the green line. Based on projection with 1.75 growth, we’ll be sitting at an access of 800 000 mega litres per annum. If we don’t have a management strategy, it can go to a million mega litres per annum,” says Joburg Water’s Logan Munsamy.

The Utility says due to aged infrastructure and structural cracks, it loses about 24,1 % of its water. Despite this, it has to compete with other infrastructure projects for funding.

“As Joburg Water we have good planning model and system, there’s lots of planning going on in the background. Issue is there’s an infrastructure backlog and is not always possible to get the funding you need,” Munsamy added.

The water utility says plans to avoid the total collapse of the system are currently under way.

“Mitigation plans and demand management strategy elements are on the go like active leak detection, identification of supply zones, fast tracking of repairs and maintenance and the installation of smart valves. Lots of initiatives are under way while others are in the procurement stage and we will add those once they are awarded,” Munsamy explains.

Video: Mismanagement, poor maintenance have led to water shifting: Prof Anja du Plessis