Water tanks roll out to Hammanskraal, Benoni and Soweto

The department of water & sanitation (DWS) in Gauteng has stepped up efforts to relieve water shortages by delivering 852 water tanks and 20 tankers to water-stressed communities that have the least capacity to avert the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the province.

In a united effort to curb the spread of the virus, the department said it was working collaboratively with Rand Water and municipalities to provide water to desperate communities in the most densely populated informal settlements.

Various areas in the province, including Roodepoort, Soweto and Ennerdale in the City of Johannesburg, and Hammanskraal in the City of Tshwane, benefited from the effort. Other areas that benefited include municipalities in the West Rand District Municipality, as well as Benoni in Ekurhuleni.

Roodepoort received 100 water tanks with a capacity of 2,500l, while Soweto got 194 tanks with 2,500l capacity and 16 tanks that hold 5,000l.

Hammanskraal got assistance with 57 water tanks, of which 37 have a capacity of 2,500l and the rest have a capacity of 5,000l. Nine water tankers were also delivered.

In Benoni, 70 water tanks with a capacity of 2,500l and four water tankers were delivered.

The West Rand District Municipality also got a shot in the arm in the form of 126, 5000l water tanks together with three water tankers. The Lesedi Local Municipality got 34, 2500l water tanks and two water tankers. The Midvaal Local Municipality received 34, 2500l water tanks and two water tankers.

A total of 95 water tanks were delivered in Merafong Local Municipality while Mogale City received 33 water tankers.

Sibusiso Mthembu, DWS’s Gauteng provincial head, said the province's infection rate was not going up steeply since the lockdown but was still rising. This required all residents to put their shoulders to the wheel to stem the infections.

Mthembu said the deployment of water tanks and tankers had increased significantly since water and sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s announcement that her department would provide water to destitute communities, adding that over time this would reduce the number of infections.

He said: “The main objective of the department is to work in partnership with every stakeholder to prevent the spread of the virus.”