PARTS of Joburg entered day three without water, and the residents felt the pinch.
On Friday, 8 March, Daily Sun spoke to serval residents who voiced out their frustrations since the start of the week with no water.
Thabiso Seitshiro (36) said having to go to work every day and not having a decent bath has been a struggle for him.
“We have not had water in a week or so, the last time I can say that I had a decent bath was Sunday if not Saturday. I stay around Randburg and its just been a struggle having to come to work and making sure you are fresh,” he said.
While he is aware that water tankers have been dispatched to parts of the area, Thabiso feels they are not safe to drink. As a result, he has to cough out more money to buy water.
Siphesihle Dlamini (42) said he lives in a shack and is dependent on a communal tap; if water runs out, he is left hopeless.
“This is affecting us all; we can’t even use the toilet. I need to go to the bush to relieve myself because I won’t be able to flush,” he said.
His friend Izinyoni Shando (56) said some days, they have to go to bed without eating because there is no water to cook.
Meanwhile, Beatrice Manjiya (54) complained about how the situation has forced them to spend money she doesn’t buy water.
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The current water supply challenge was triggered by two incidents that occurred at Rand Water’s Eikenhof pump station due to City Power outages.
One was on Sunday, 3 March and this was followed by another one on Monday, 4 March.
These two incidents affected the stability of certain reservoirs within the Joburg Water system.
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gumande said that since Wednesday, 6 March, they have been making improvements in their systems, with impacted reservoirs and towers recovering, and this is having an impact on residents receiving a steady water supply.
However, it will take time for a full recovery.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Department of Health spokesman Motalatale Modiba confirmed that most of the facilities affected by the water disruptions have been fixed except for Dr Yusuf Dadoo Hospital in the West Rand, which still has challenges as the local reservoirs feeding into the facility are still low.
“Water tankers will continue to supply the facility until the water is fully restored,” Modiba said.
