JOHANNESBURG WATER IMPLEMENTS WATER DEMAND LEVY TO ALL CUSTOMERS

All water prepaid customers across the City of Johannesburg are reminded about the new water demand management levy that has been implemented from 1 July 2019 going forward (according to the Council Approved 2019/20 Tariffs Report),  that there is a standard once-off  monthly fixed charge will be charged when one buys water credit, this is a fixed charge for all City of Johannesburg customers using conventional meters including prepaid customers in the greater Soweto, Riverside View and Cosmo City.

The fixed charge is mandatory and will be charged monthly, meaning customers cannot buy water for less than R25 as they need to cover the monthly fixed charge before they can get sufficient credit to last them for the month, customers are also informed not to buy water in bulk to last them for more than a month as they will automatically accumulate the monthly water fixed charge on their accounts for months they didn’t buy any credit.

The City is also offering the Expanded Social Package (ESP) to the indigent. The ESP targets vulnerable residents in the city such as the unemployed, youth, people with disabilities, displaced persons and senior citizens. People with different levels of need will qualify for different levels of subsidy according to the City’s measure of affordability. Please visit the nearest CoJ service centre to be assisted. The levy is also applicable to all customers on ESP if they use more than the allocation per month.

City residents are urged to reduce their water consumption patterns as water usage has increased at an alarming rate and this is of serious concern given the recent heat wave we have been experiencing. The entity has begun throttling reservoirs at the rate of 20% to 40% in line with restrictions imposed by Rand Water. We need all hands on deck to ensure that we reduce consumption in order to protect the infrastructure.

Ends

Media enquiries:

Mr Isaac Dhludhlu
Communications Manager
011 688 1577
072 638 5346
Isaac.Dhludhlu@jwater.co.za

24 October 2019

Immediate Release

Rand Water will be implementing stage 2 water supply restrictions in some of the areas in the City of Johannesburg mainly due to high demand. The normal expected equitable water supply by Rand Water is 4370Ml/d however the average consumption is 4900Ml/d.

At 4370 Ml/d, everyone has supply and in the past few months, Rand water has been operating at this demand level. The current demand at 4900Ml/d is 530Ml/d more than what is required; this is unsustainable and will result in water supply interruptions. Rand Water is now implementing restrictions to various areas in their network to bring down the demand and this is aimed at ensuring equitable supply and system stability.

City of Johannesburg residents are urged reduce their water consumption patterns as water usage has increased at an alarming rate and this is of serious concern given the recent heat wave we have been experiencing. Johannesburg Water has begun throttling reservoirs between at the rate of 20% to 40% in line with restrictions imposed by Rand Water. Another heat wave is predicted this coming weekend and we need all hands on deck to ensure that we reduce consumption in order to protect the infrastructure. The restrictions have impacted lot of Johannesburg Water reservoirs capacity across the City of Johannesburg as demand increases daily.

We appeal to all to use water sparingly and to remind them that level one water restrictions are still in place.  Watering of gardens is not allowed between 6 am and 6 pm in summer months (1 Sept to 31 March) and furthermore, it is not allowed to wash paved areas and driveway using hose pipes.

South Africa is a water scarce country and at all times residents are reminded to conserve water by practicing the following water saving tips:

• Do not leave taps dripping.
• Wash your car on the grass. This will water your lawn at the same time.
• Use a watering-can instead of a hose pipe.
• Shorten your showering time.
• Use a glass of water to rinse when brushing your teeth.
• Take shallow baths. Avoid filling your bath to a depth greater than 100mm.

Residents are also urged to continue to report all burst pipes, leaking water meters, open hydrants to:

• Call Centre – 011 375 5555
• SMS 076 333 5052
• www.johannesburgwater.co.za
• @Jhbwater- Twitter
• Johannesburg Water- Facebook

Johannesburg Water is committed to provide a sustainable water and sanitation supply to all residents of the City. Water restrictions will be enforced by fines to consumers who contravened the Water Services By-law and consumers are urged to report non-compliance to the JMPD 24/7 hotline on 011 375 5911 Or Email: mukonas@joburg.org.za

Ends

Media enquiries:
Cllr Nico de Jager
MMC: Environment and Infrastructure Services Department
083 899 2127
NicoDe@joburg.org.za

Mr Isaac Dhludhlu
Communications Manager
011 688 1577
072 638 5346
Isaac.Dhludhlu@jwater.co.za

Eskom stage 2 load shedding

Eskom will be implementing stage 2 load shedding from 9am this morning,  Johannesburg Water (JW) would like to advise residents of the City of Johannesburg to check load shedding schedules for their respective areas on the Eskom website  and City Power websites as water supply does get affected by power outages.

In the event of load shedding for the duration of 4 hours and more, pockets of areas may experience water shortages or even low pressure because JW uses electricity to pump water from the reservoir into the towers.

Customers are also encouraged to check our social media platforms ( Facebook: Johannesburg Water and Twitter @JHBwater) for regular updates on the status of water levels in the towers and reservoirs.

Johannesburg Water is committed to provide a sustainable water and sanitation supply to all residents of the City and level 1 water restrictions are still in place and will be enforced by fines to consumers who contravened the Water Services By-laws. Consumers are urged to report non-compliance to the JMPD 24/7 hotline on 011 375 5911.

Ends

Media enquiries:

Cllr Nico de Jager

MMC: Environment and Infrastructure Services Department

083 899 2127

NicoDe@joburg.org.za

Mr. Isaac Dhludhlu

Communications Manager

011 688 1577

072 638 5346

Isaac.Dhludhlu@jwater.co.za