Natasha Odendaal
Natasha Odendaal is Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.
Water Indaba delivers resolutions to resolve water challenges
31st March 2025 Following the Water and Sanitation Indaba held last week, clear resolutions have emerged to reverse the significant decline seen in South Africa’s... →
New path charted for water sector, says Ramaphosa
31st March 2025 A new course will be charted for South Africa’s water sector following the landmark Water and Sanitation Indaba held last week, President Cyril... →
Performance in water sector needs to be stepped up, urges Ramaphosa
27th March 2025 South Africa’s embattled water sector is the number one priority for government, and implementation will be critical in turning the dire situation... →
Six valves opened at Vaal to increase outflow
24th March 2025 Six valves have been opened at Vaal dam, while the water outflow has been further increased at the Bloemhof dam on Monday. The Department of Water... →
DWS increases Bloemhof outflow as water releases from Vaal continue
24th March 2025 The water outflows at the Bloemhof dam have been increased to 350.97 cubic metres a second (mᵌ/s) to allow for the extra flows that are expected... →
DWS opens sluice gate as Vaal dam levels rise
20th March 2025 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on Thursday opened one sluice gate to increase water releases from the Vaal dam, the levels of which... →
Cogta committee calls for sustainable solutions for municipalities’ water challenges
19th March 2025 As water utility Rand Water outlined the challenges it faces, including the debt owed to it, the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and... →
Pollution threatens to overwhelm the country’s water supply systems
14th March 2025 As many regions across South Africa, including the City of Johannesburg and eThekwini, continue to grapple with significant water supply challenges... →
Joburg Water disconnects customers owing over R2.7m
11th March 2025 Following the start of a Level 1 Disconnections Drive on Monday, Johannesburg Water has disconnected 15 customers that collectively owe the utility... →
Vaal dam reaches full capacity, DWS slows outflow
11th March 2025 As the water levels of the Vaal dam reach 101.51%, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has reduced the outflow of water from 61.2 cubic... →
Water consumption in Gauteng decreases
10th March 2025 The Gauteng Water Security Dashboard shows that overall water consumption across Gauteng has decreased, however, the levels remain above the water... →
Vaal dam water levels near 100%
6th March 2025 The water level of the Vaal dam has reached 98.99%, with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), in line with its flood management plan,... →
IVRS water storage levels rise, along with consumption
3rd March 2025 The Integrated Vaal River System’s combined surface water storage has reached 92.5%, above average for this time of year. This is an improvement on... →
Gauteng metro water consumption declines, but remains above target
24th February 2025 The water consumption across Gauteng’s metropolitans have declined week-on-week; however, the volumes remain above the required water-use... →
South Africa’s dam levels rise as above normal rainfall persists
21st February 2025 South Africa’s overall dam levels have increased week-on-week from 80.6% to 81.2% as above-normal rainfall persists. The Department of Water and... →
Rand Water warns of ‘extremely’ high water demand, reservoirs depleting rapidly
13th February 2025 Water utility Rand Water has warned that ‘extremely’ high water consumption has exacerbated the rapid depletion of its water storage systems. This... →
Rand Water to embark on 24-hour maintenance on Germiston pipeline
20th January 2025 Rand Water is preparing for planned maintenance work to repair a leak that was detected on the O2 pipeline beneath Nasmith Road in Germiston, in... →
South Africa can play a significant role in global technology, sustainability
16th January 2025 The 2025 World Economic Forum, set to be held in Davos from January 20 to 24, provides an unparalleled platform for South Africa to assert itself... →
Rainfall boosts South Africa’s, Vaal dam’s water storage levels
15th January 2025 Recent rainfall has boosted the water levels of the Vaal dam significantly, with plans to fill the dam with water from Sterkfontein dam no longer... →
Rand Water prepares for more maintenance
11th December 2024 Rand Water is preparing to embark on its next planned water infrastructure maintenance project this week. On Friday, the utility will start repairs... →
Joburg Water optimistic regarding turnaround plan amid challenges, R27bn backlog
11th December 2024 Against a challenging backdrop of high – and rising – water demand, illegal connections, nonpayment for water, servitude encroachments and aging... →
Gauteng water crisis won’t be solved without infrastructure and demand interventions
6th December 2024 Gauteng, South Africa’s most populous province and economic hub, eagerly anticipates a significant inflow of additional water in 2028 from the... →
Sterkfontein set to replenish Vaal dam water levels
3rd December 2024 As the water level of the Vaal dam nears the critical 18% mark, preparations are under way to release water from the back-up Sterkfontein dam to... →
Cities, states and regions can play a powerful role in mitigating climate change
28th November 2024 Subnational governments have a critical role to play in climate change mitigation and adaption, having already demonstrated extraordinary ambition,... →
E-tolls debt bites into Gauteng’s finances
26th November 2024 Hard choices are having to be made to enable the Gauteng provincial government (GPG) to meet its e-toll debt obligations. In 2022, the GPG accepted... →
Uncertainty emerges over looming deadline for analogue switch off
20th November 2024 As the gazetted date of December 31 draws closer for the years-delayed switch-off of the analogue broadcasting signals, the Department of... →
Phase 1 of Hammanskraal drinking water project completed, water yet to flow
18th November 2024 The first phase of the drinking water project for Hammanskraal has been completed, with the first of four modules of the Klipdrift potable water... →
Overnight water throttling part of new measures to combat Joburg’s water challenges
12th November 2024 Johannesburg Water will start throttling water supply from between 21:00 and 04:00, as the city experiences increasingly frequent interruptions to... →
No Day Zero for Gauteng, assures Majodina
5th November 2024 While Gauteng battles many self-inflicted water challenges, it will not face a Day Zero, where the taps will run dry, Water and Sanitation Minister... →
DWS, CoJ meet as city faces water challenges
4th November 2024 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) held a meeting over the weekend to discuss interventions as the... →
DWS, Unisa partner to boost clean water provision
30th October 2024 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the University of South Africa’s (Unisa’s) College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET)... →
Climate change impacts are adding further complexities in water sector challenges
29th October 2024 Climate change is adding further layers of complexity to the already existing challenges of providing sustainable water resources and sanitation in... →
New water utility to be launched for Emfuleni local municipality
29th October 2024 A water utility will be launched on November 3 by the Emfuleni local municipality and Rand Water to enhance the provision of water and sanitation... →
High interest rates continue to weigh on South African households
16th October 2024 South Africa’s high interest rates over the past two years have raised the average debt cost burden to its highest level in 15 years. This is... →
South Africa’s water security challenge scores highest in study
16th October 2024 South Africa’s low level of renewable fresh water per capita, high water use rates and high levels of both consumption and leakage have resulted in... →
Rand Water warns of worsening, critically low water supply in Gauteng
14th October 2024 Bulk water supplier Rand Water is extracting water at the maximum volumes allowed by its Department of Water and Sanitation-issued extraction... →
SPS selected to provide renewable-energy solution for significant Limpopo water supply project
11th October 2024 The Lebalelo Water User Association (LWUA) has selected asset management company Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) as the preferred bidder to... →
DWS cautions of presence of cholera in Vaal, Harts rivers
9th October 2024 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on Wednesday cautioned water users along the Vaal and Harts rivers in the North West and the Northern... →
Rand Water to embark on 56-hour water supply disruption to divert pipeline
4th October 2024 Rand Water is preparing to implement a 56-hour project next week to divert its G20 pipeline to enable City Power to expand the Mondeor substation... →
Sanral probing historic GFIP e-toll debt options
1st October 2024 While the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) on Tuesday welcomed the first instalment by the Gauteng provincial government of its... →
DWS launches Vaal anti-pollution forum
1st October 2024 The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is preparing to launch a new forum aimed at mitigating the years-long pollution impacting the Vaal... →
