RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - In the face of a continuing heat wave that appears to have the entire country in a firm grip, the sad news for Rustenburg residents is that the water shortage experienced over the past few weeks throughout the city is more than likely to continue for at least another week, as Rustenburg Executive Mayor - Shiela Mabale-Huma has warned during a press conference held last Tuesday afternoon.
By now probably most of Rustenburg will know that the current water shortage is a result not only of a heat wave with almost unprecedented temperatures around the country,
but of severe challenges at Rand Water's Eikenhof Water plant which has a detrimental effect on water supply to large areas in Johannesburg and Rustenburg's Barnardsvlei Reservoir along the Mooinooi hills as well as all water suppliers and stations of Rand Water and Magalies Water in the Rustenburg region. Executive Mayor Shiela Mabale-Huma has warned Rustenburg residents and areas surrounding the city that the water supply challenges are far from over and that consumers should take urgent measures to ensure that they have water during times of shortages. It is also very important that people do not wash their cars, paved areas, water gardens or use water excessively as this would jeopardize all attempt to get the city's reservoirs to acceptable levels, Mabale-Huma said.
Meanwhile the crisis situation is continuing in Ward 17 Rustenburg (Cuckoo Avenue) and surrounding areas Ward Councillor Tanya Rothman told Waldie Volschenk of Rustenburg Herald. For once Rustenburg consumers must try to understand that the Rustenburg Municipality is not to blame for the current water shortages as the situation is beyond our control.
For the lack of any encouraging news, the best that we could prepare consumers for, is that the water shortage is not likely to continue for longer than another week as outlined by the Executive Mayor last week", Cllr Rothman said. The best advice that I could possibly give consumers is to fill smallish domestic containers at home (not gigantic tanks please) during times of normal supply or to fill their baths halfway with water in order to have access to at least "some" water during lengthy shortages, she concluded.
