Millions of litres saved with 9 719 water leaks closed since the end of June

On Tuesday, 19 July, as the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Eugene Johnson, hosted South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, at the Nooitgedatch Water Treatment Plant, the war on water leaks continued to gain steam. 

Bay Water Distribution Director Joseph Tsatsire explained: “We repaired 5 499 leaks in the last week of June, with 1 853 successfully repaired in the first week July across the Metro. A further 2 367 were completed last week, bringing the total to 9 719 since the renewed campaign.

“We begin this week with a small backlog of 712 leaks reported.

“The effort to curb rampant water leaks in the Metro is part of a multi-pronged approach to push back day zero. The installation of water management devices and straight connections is also progressing well,” concluded Tsatsire.

Dam storage improves slightly

Senior Director of Water and Sanitation, Barry Martin, on local dam storage: “We have seen a relatively small but steady recovery, from 11.94% exactly a month ago to 14.8% recorded earlier today. The recent rains and flow have clearly contributed to the small rise in dam storage, although far from ideal. We are not out of the woods yet, so we must conserve and use water sparingly.

“It is also important to note that consumption measured a month ago (17 June) was a whopping 292ml/d, 62ml/d used over target. Although the numbers fluctuate, things have slightly improved to 261ml/d, 31ml/d over use recorded today. That deficit is half of where we were in the same period,” concluded Martin.

The city continues to urge citizens to use water sparingly at 50 litres per person per day, and doing so will make sure that every citizen has equitable access to water.

Bay water users are encouraged to visit www.baywatersavers.co.za to find useful water saving tips, or alternatively WhatsApp water to (064) 744 7721 for an interactive experience.