A water activist has urged Gauteng residents to exercise caution when using water from trucks, citing concerns about monitoring and water quality.
This comes as Rand Water prepares to undertake major maintenance work between May 29, June 2 and July 17. The maintenance is expected to disrupt water supply in several areas around the province including Sandton, Midrand, Randburg, Roodepoort, Soweto, Lenasia, Crown Gardens, Aeroton and Linksfield.
Dr Ferrial Adam from WaterCAN said residents should exercise caution when dealing with trucked water.
“In most cases the tankers collect water from Joburg Water depots. This applies to both tankers contracted by the municipality and those owned by Joburg Water itself. We know the water comes from the depot,” said Adam.
“What we do not know is how often the tankers are cleaned, maintained, or monitored. We have, however, been told that protocols are now in place for the tankers contracted to Joburg Water.”
She said private water tankers were mysterious.
“There are also many private water tankers providing water to residents, and we do not know where they source their water from or whether they are following the necessary checks and balances that should be in place.”
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala sought to allay residents’ fears, saying water supplied through stationary or roaming tankers owned by or contracted to Johannesburg Water was safe for human consumption.
She assured residents that the tankers are cleaned and maintained regularly to ensure water quality.
“The network of stationary tanks is tested through a scheduled water testing programme by Johannesburg Water’s Cydna Laboratory.
“Should there be any water quality incidents reported, the roaming tanker or stationary tank is immediately stopped for use and only reinstated when test results are clear.”
Shabalala said residents could experience low water pressure or complete outages during the maintenance period.
“Alternative water supply arrangements, including water tankers, will be made available at strategic points in affected communities. Residents are encouraged to store water in advance and avoid excessive consumption before the maintenance begins as this could further strain the system,” said Shabalala.
Adam encouraged residents to ensure that their own storage containers are clean before collecting water.
“Sometimes people keep buckets outside, things fall into them and then when the tanks arrive they immediately rush to collect water without properly cleaning the containers. It is important to wash buckets regularly, especially after they are emptied. You can clean them using basic detergent,” she said.
She also advised residents to pay attention to the appearance of the water. “If water coming from a tanker looks brown, that should not be the case. People should not be receiving brown water from water tankers.”
Shabalala encouraged residents to store water in clean, covered containers and avoid using dirty or previously contaminated containers.
“Water quality can also be affected by household storage practices. As a general guideline, properly stored water can remain suitable for household consumption for approximately 24–48 hours subject to maintenance of hygienic practices and conditions when handling the water."
“Residents should keep containers sealed to avoid contamination.”
Shabalala said the locations of water tankers will be shared across Johannesburg Water’s communication platforms, including ward councillor groups.
Water supplied by the municipality through trucks is free.
“If municipal tankers are charging residents to fill JoJo tanks, that would be illegal,” Adam said. .
Resident should ask private suppliers for proof that they are licensed or registered to sell water. Roaming tankers contracted to Johannesburg Water are authorised by a registration number that can be identified on the vehicle.
“There needs to be more transparency. People should be able to go online and search for a company and see whether it is registered. If it is not registered, that should immediately raise concerns, ” Adam said
Johannesburg Water warned that it could take several days for supply systems to fully recover after each maintenance period.
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