54-hour Joburg water cuts: High Court closes, contingency plans for health facilities, schools
The Gauteng Department of Health says it has put in place contingency plans to ensure water cuts do not affect health facilities.
Water utility Rand Water announced planned water interruptions starting on Monday.
The water cuts were due to maintenance to infrastructure and were expected to last for 54 hours, News24 reported earlier.
According to Rand Water, their bulk water supplier is working on its raw water pipe that supplies the Vereeniging water purification plant.
Rand Water said maintenance would affect the water supply from the Rand Water Eikenhof pump station to the south of Johannesburg, the CBD, and the northern and western areas. It said the water supply will be reduced by 25%.
On Monday, the Gauteng health department said despite no reported water interruptions at its facilities in the morning, it continued to monitor the situation.
The department said it was working with Johannesburg Water on its contingency plans.
These are the affected areas:
Roodepoort/Randburg area: Bergbron, Claremont, Delarey, Whiteridge, Roodekrans (all extensions), Wilropark (all extensions), Helderkruin (all extensions), Constantia Kloof (all extensions), Allen's Nek (all extensions), Weltervreden (all extensions), Florida Hill, Discovery (all extensions), Selwyn, Florida Township, Honeydew (all extensions), Zandspruit, Laser Park, Randpark Ridge, Cosmo City, Lanseria, Thabo Mbeki informal settlement, Olivedale, Sundowner, Northwold, Boskruin, Bromhof, Kya Sands, Bloubosrand, Eagle Canyon, Honeydew View, Poortview, Ruimsig, Wilgeheuwel, Princess Glober, Lindhaven, Little Falls, Harveston, Honeydew and parts of Northriding.
Langlaagte/Southdale area: Mondeor, Southgate, Meredale, Alan Manor, Eagles Nest, Southfork, Kibler Heights, Eikenhof, Lougherin AH, Coronationville, Westbury, Claremont, Triomf, Westdene, Newlands, Greymont, Albertskroon, Albertsville, Langlaagte, Industria, Bosmont, Riverlea, Longdale, Vrededorp, Fordsburg, Brixton, Mayfair, Cottesloe and Jan Hofmeyer.
Soweto and the Johannesburg CBD.
"Water tankers and mobile toilets have been deployed by Joburg Water in various health facilities such as Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital and Helen Joseph Hospital, among others. This is in addition to existing reservoir resources in the various health facilities that fall in the affected areas of the planned water interruption," provincial health department spokesperson Kwara Kekana said.
Kekana said managers at facilities had also put plans in place to ensure there was minimised use of water in non-essential areas.
The planned water cuts have also affected the courts in the municipal area.
Proceedings at the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg will come to a halt until Thursday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a short statement, "Kindly note that due to water cuts, matters sitting in (the Gauteng) High Court (in Johannesburg) that were set down from Monday to Wednesday will be postponed to Thursday."
News24 sent questions to justice department spokesperson Steve Mahlangu enquiring whether the lower courts were also affected.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Department of Education said it had not yet experienced water disruptions at schools.
Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said although no water challenges were experienced thus far, most schools had boreholes in place.
Mabona said, "Because this is a planned project, they (schools) were advised to stockpile water. They utilised different mechanisms to stockpile water. But on the other hand, parents are encouraged to give children water bottles so that after writing their assessments, they are then released."
He said it was fortunate that maintenance was being done during examination periods when pupils were not expected to be at school for a full day, but were expected to leave after writing exams.
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