Gauteng residents urged to cut back on water usage

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng residents need to start cutting back on water usage .

This to avoid water shortages and even getting to Day Zero.

That's according to former Water Affairs Director General, Professor Mike Muller.

The Water and Sanitation Department announced it will be distributing more water to Gauteng in order to deal with the current water crisis affecting a number of municipalities.

READ: Gauteng to get bulk emergency water

“I think we should be worried about getting into a situation as Cape Town did. They had a drought and had to scramble to keep going," Muller said.

"In Gauteng, we have quite a lot of inefficiencies in the system. Over the next five years we’re going to have to use water more efficiently. Everyone, households, individuals and businesses.

"This is a wake-up call. We should start taking water seriously."

As Gauteng's water supply comes under increasing pressure, Rand Water and distributors have placed at least some of the blame on the blackouts recently experienced.

READ: SA's Water Crisis | JHB's Commando system 'highly constrained'

But Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha says medical facilities have engaged with the power utility to exempt hospitals, and the onus is on municipalities and distributors to do the same.

"There is no mechanism under those regulations to actually exempt the water infrastructure or any infrastructure," he said.

"You would have seen over the last few weeks that Eskom, together with the municipalities and the department of health, are doing what they can to try and shield hospitals from load-shedding.

"And so the municipalities in which these water reservoirs lie would have to embark on a similar process in order to isolate supply to the water reservoirs in order to ensure or to minimise any disturbances due to the electricity.

"The reality however is that they cannot be exempted under current regulations."