By Pretoria — Rand Water has issued a stern warning regarding exceptionally high water consumption levels across several key municipal regions, placing severe pressure on the bulk water supply system.
Citing persistent over-consumption despite repeated warnings, the utility has announced that it will implement strict supply restrictions on defaulting municipalities to protect the infrastructure and ensure equitable distribution.
The Scale of Over-Consumption
According to Rand Water’s supply data for 2026, the cumulative demand frequently breaches regional targets. While the temporary Water Use Efficiency (WUE) grand target for the network stands at 4,699 megalitres, actual monthly consumption has persistently hovered above this threshold—recording 4,730 megalitres in May, 4,752 in June, and maintaining high volumes through September (4,702 megalitres).
The data highlights distinct disparities among municipal clients. The primary municipal entities flagged for exceeding their permitted WUE targets include:
- City of Johannesburg (Permitted WUE target: 1,528; September consumption: 1,724)
- City of Tshwane (Permitted WUE target: 752; September consumption: 893)
- Emfuleni Local Municipality (Permitted WUE target: 269; September consumption: 316)
- Mogale City Local Municipality (Permitted WUE target: 105; September consumption: 106)
- Rustenburg Local Municipality (Permitted WUE target: 77; September consumption: 81)
- Midvaal Local Municipality (Permitted WUE target: 32; September consumption: 33)
- Madibeng Local Municipality (Permitted WUE target: 9; September consumption: 13)
Rand Water emphasized that unchecked consumption by a few places an unfair burden on compliant regions, warning that continuous non-compliance threatens the stability of the entire network.
Compliant Municipalities Commended
In contrast, the utility commended several municipal customers for adhering to restrictions and successfully curbing demand within their allocated limits. Entities praised for their conservation efforts include:
- City of Ekurhuleni (Consistently operating below its target of 1,152, recording 1,079 in September)
- Metsimaholo Local Municipality (September consumption: 46 against a target of 57)
- Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (September consumption: 86, target: 119)
- Merafong City Local Municipality (September consumption: 55, target: 97)
- Lesedi Local Municipality (September consumption: 25, target: 26)
- Ngwathe Local Municipality (September consumption: 8, target: 8)
- Victor Khanye Local Municipality (September consumption: 10, target: 19)
- Royal Bafokeng Nation / Administration
- Thembisile Hani Local Municipality
Enforcement and Impact on Consumers
Because previous appeals yielded insufficient results, Rand Water is moving forward with tangible enforcement measures. Municipalities exceeding their quotas will face supply restrictions, which are expected to manifest as low water pressure or intermittent water supply disruptions for residents and businesses within the affected zones.
The utility reiterated that water conservation remains a collective obligation. Residents, commercial entities, and local governments within affected regions are urgently requested to practice responsible consumption to safeguard a stable and sustainable supply moving forward.
