Ageing Water Infrastructure continues to fail the residents of Ekurhuleni

by Cllr Simon Lapping — DA Shadow MMC for Water, Energy and Sanitation in Ekurhuleni

and Cllr Alta de Beer — DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni

Date: 26 August 2021

Release: Immediate

Type: Press Statement

Water and power outages have reached crisis level in the ANC-led Coalition* City of Ekurhuleni (CoE). It is unacceptable that large areas of Ekurhuleni are so vulnerable to water outages because, for years now, residents and businesses have been affected by rampant and incessant water outages.

On the morning of 26 August 2021, parts of Ekurhuleni woke up to no water in their homes and businesses. The following areas are affected by the current water outage issue: Bedfordview, Germiston, Lambton, Mimosa Park, Dinwiddie, Wadeville, Tedstonville, Klopperpark, Elandsfontein, Sunnyridge, Gerdview, Homestead, Rustavia, Sunnyrock, Dawnview, Primrose, Primrose Hill, Wychwood, Malvern East, Marlands, Albermarle, Dewittsrus, Norton Small Farms, Union, Cresslawn, Spartan, Isando, Croydon and many other areas.

According to Ekurhuleni Officials, the issue lies on the main pipeline between the Vaal Dam and Primrose, and Rand Water is allegedly investigating the issue. During the past week, Lambton residents reported low water pressure and the Ekurhuleni Water Department was supposedly investigating and monitoring the issue. Yet, here we are, without any water.

As the DA, we believe that Rand Water is throttling the water supply to the Germiston and Kempton Park areas. This behaviour from Rand Water is totally unacceptable as residents were not informed of the issue. The DA demands transparency from Rand Water and provide adequate and accurate on-the-ground communication to Ekurhuleni residents.

While we understand that the overreaching responsibility of both ESKOM and Rand Water regarding the recent and ongoing water outages in Ekurhuleni, it must also be asked; is the existing system adequate for the number of residents in our city? If the answer is no, how does the ANC and its coalition partners continue to approve rampant densification?

Further aggravating the issue is that the water infrastructure is collapsing owing to the City’s ageing infrastructure. As the DA, we have been calling for urgent upgrades to the ailing water infrastructure in Ekurhuleni for years now. Yet, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

The Russel Road Reservoir that supplies water to large parts of Germiston, Albermarle and Wadeville simply cannot cope with the demand. A project commenced in 2019 to build a replacement reservoir in Russel Road, but came to an abrupt halt, because of nonperformance from the appointed contractor. And in true ANC style, the contract was cancelled, and the Water Department withdrew the budget from the project. Consequently, the Primrose and Isando Reservoirs have been negatively affected, adversely affecting water supply to large parts of Germiston and Kempton Park. This, again, has a huge impact on industrial areas which are already under strain because of the unreliable electricity supply.

The DA is calling on the City Manager, Dr. Imogen Mashazi, to reallocate funds to the Russel Road Reservoir Project. The project must be completed urgently, to prevent future water supply disasters.

As COVID-19 continues to grip our country and the world, we need a caring government who will ensure basic services are delivered. How are communities expected to practice good hygiene, when their taps barely have running water? The ANC and its coalition partners are placing peoples’ lives at risk due to its failure to maintain infrastructure.

Councillors from the affected wards are arranging water tankers with the CoE. In the interim, residents and businesses are encouraged to use water sparingly until water is fully restored.

#Time4Change

*ANC Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)

Cllr. Simon Lapping

DA Shadow MMC for Water, Energy and Sanitation in Ekurhuleni

Cllr. Alta de Beer

DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni