Coordinated efforts are under way to address ongoing water supply challenges affecting parts of the metropolitans of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane and Mogale City local municipality, says the Gauteng provincial government (GPG).

The GPG launched an Operations Centre earlier this week, led by MEC Jacob Mamabolo, to prioritise the coordination of urgent interventions in collaboration with national government, municipalities and key stakeholders in the water sector.

Government’s Water Task Team on Friday also convened a meeting with Ministers and government officials to assess water supply challenges and undertake interventions to stabilise water supply, across Gauteng, following recent disruptions.

South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile, chairperson of the Water Task Team, will also visit Johannesburg as part of monitoring the interventions in the next week.

Meanwhile, a team of Ministers has been on the ground with Gauteng’s leaders and the municipalities, especially in Johannesburg, where plans are in motion to resolve the water crisis.

The GPG has been working with the Department of Water and Sanitation, Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Rand Water and municipalities to stabilise supply and improve system resilience.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina and Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, playing a critical role in strengthening coordination between national and provincial government, have undertaken ongoing oversight visits to all affected areas, overseen technical assessments and undertaken stakeholder engagements.

In addition, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, supported by Deputy Minister Dickson Masemola, has reinforced cooperative governance mechanisms with municipalities.

Through the facilitation of intergovernmental forums, the Minister has ensured that municipalities, the province and national departments are aligned in implementing sustainable, long-term solutions.

These include enhanced monitoring of municipal performance, improved financial management of water infrastructure grants, and strengthened accountability measures.

The GPG further added that the Ministers have engaged affected communities in Johannesburg and Mogale City and will visit Tshwane and Ekurhuleni in the coming days.

The GPG says in a statement issued on Friday that various measure are under way to arrest the water crisis in Gauteng, including the accelerated repair of leaks, refurbishment of pump stations, maintenance of reservoirs and replacement of ageing pipelines across affected municipalities.

Further, pressure reduction measures are being introduced in high-consumption areas to stabilise reservoir levels and reduce system strain, while technical support is being provided to municipalities with the deployment of technical experts to support turnaround strategies, improve response times to outages and strengthen asset management systems.

Also in focus is funding and resource mobilisation, with the ring-fencing of infrastructure grants and reprioritisation of budgets to focus on critical water projects, the GPG added.

In a separate statement issued on Friday, the Water Task Team says it was briefed on the electromechanical failures at Rand Water pump stations and a major pipe burst in late January that had temporarily reduced bulk supply.

Rand Water has since restored full capacity. However, municipal systems, particularly in the City of Johannesburg, remain under pressure owing to low reservoir levels, high demand during the heatwave, ageing infrastructure and water losses averaging 33%.

It says that other measures implemented to accelerate recovery are the implementation of load shifting and the deployment of water tankers to affected areas.

“Government expects supply to progressively stabilise over the coming week, subject to reduced demand. The Water Task Team will continue to monitor implementation and enforce compliance where necessary.”

Meanwhile, the GPG comments that while short-term stabilisation measures are yielding gradual improvements in some areas, the province acknowledges that long-term infrastructure renewal and improved municipal capacity are essential to fully resolve recurring water challenges.

“The GPG remains committed to ensuring reliable and sustainable water supply to all residents. Working together with national leadership, including Deputy Minister Mahlobo and Minister Hlabisa, the province will continue to intensify oversight, strengthen intergovernmental cooperation and prioritise infrastructure investment,” the GPG concludes.