South Africa urge residents to reduce water consumption

Water providers in Johannesburg, South Africa, have issued a pressing call to action for the city’s residents and suburban communities to join hands in conserving water resources amidst an increasingly dire shortage.

They caution that failure to act could lead to an imminent system collapse.

Rand Water and Johannesburg Water jointly announced on Sunday that excessive water consumption by residents has placed an unsustainable burden on the city’s water infrastructure, resulting in critically low reservoir levels.

In a bid to avert disaster, “these utilities are urging residents to adopt immediate water-saving measures, including reducing shower times to a mere two minutes, reserving toilet flushing for essential purposes, and restricting car washing to weekends using buckets”.

Furthermore, residents are being implored to refrain from filling swimming pools until the water scarcity crisis subsides, abstain from irrigating gardens and lawns with potable water, and promptly address or report any water leaks.

This appeal comes as Johannesburg remains under annual water restrictions, typically enforced during South Africa’s dry season spanning from September to March.

Recent weeks have witnessed an alarming shortage, leaving certain residents and vital institutions such as hospitals without access to water, prompting widespread dissatisfaction.

Africanews/Hauwa M