The Integrated Vaal River System’s combined surface water storage has reached 92.5%, above average for this time of year.

This is an improvement on the 90% recorded a year ago and 84.6% last week, according to the Gauteng Water Security Dashboard.

Further, the water storage levels of the Vaal dam increased to 83.5% by February 28, up from 70% in the prior week and 61.7% in the preceding week.

However, water consumption across Gauteng has increased month-on-month, with the main metropolitans and municipalities consuming more water and remaining above the required water-use efficiency targets set by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Month-on-month, the region’s total water use increased to 4 181-million litres a day in January, from 4 137-million litres a day in December, exceeding the water use efficiency target by 16% or 577-million litres a day, and equating to gross per capita use of 295 ℓ.

Water consumption in the City of Johannesburg during January increased from 1 657-million litres a day to 1 708-million litres a day – 352-million litres, or 26%, above its target. This equates to a gross per capita use of 280 ℓ.

During the same period, consumption in the City of Ekurhuleni was 1 048-million litres, 26-million litres, or 3%, above its target and an increase from 1 024-milllion litres in December, with a gross per capita use of 258 ℓ.

The City of Tshwane, with a gross per capita use of 248 ℓ, consumed 796-million litres a day, down from 825-million litres a day in December, but 130-million litres, or 20%, above its daily target.

Emfuleni, meanwhile, used 316-million litres – an increase from 312-million litres a day in December – and 77-million litres a day, or 32%, over its target. The municipality recorded a gross per capita use of 438 ℓ.

Mogale City consumed 106-million litres a day in January, a decrease from 113-million litres, but still 21%, or 20-million litres, above target. The municipality had gross per capita use of 311 ℓ.

Similarly, Midvaal, with a gross per capita use of 420 ℓ, consumed 37-million litres a day, which, while a decrease from 40-million litres, remained 12-million litres, or 43%, above target.

Merafong recorded an increase from 67-million litres a day to 69-million litres, but remained 23% below target, or 20-million litres, while Lesedi, also below target by 15% or 3-million, increased to 22-million litres a day. Merafong had a gross per capita use of 337 ℓ and Lesedi a gross per capita use of 201 ℓ, according to the dashboard.

Rand West, with a gross per capita use of 303 ℓ, reported a decrease in consumption from 80-million litres a day to 79-million litres a day, remaining 13%, or 12-million litres, below its water use efficiency target.

Meanwhile, nonrevenue water (NRW) – the volume of potable water distributed for which the municipality receives no income – for the City of Johannesburg remained high at 48.4%. The City of Ekurhuleni had NRW of 30.1%, while Tshwane’s NRW was 33.3%.

The target for municipalities in South Africa is less than 25%.

The real, or physical, losses, which include leaks and overflows on storage infrastructure and on service connections outside private property boundaries, for the cities of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane were 36.8%, 27.9% and 32.5%, all above the target of 15%.

Each of the metropolitans have various strategies  to reduce NRW and losses.

The measures, including repairing leaking reservoir or tower infrastructure, repairing or replacing zonal bulk meters, active/passive leak detection, new pressure management zones and minimum night flow (MNF), retrofitting and removing wasteful devices, bylaw enforcement and water pipe and meter replacement, are expected to produce savings of 102-million litres and 15-million litres during the year ended June 30 for the cities of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni respectively.

Current NRW reducing initiatives in the City of Tshwane, including active/passive leak detection, new pressure management zones and MNF, water pipe replacement and meter replacement, are expected to produce savings of five-million litres for the city.

According to the dashboard, the metropolitans are currently doing feasibility studies to quantify the long-term investment required to reduce NRW and the water loss savings that could be achieved.

Meanwhile, the overall storage of the four main strategic Rand Water reservoirs, namely Palmiet, Mapleton, Eikenhof and Zwartkopjies, was at 38.8% as at February 28.

Palmiet comprises 59% of the total storage volume, Mapleton 23%, Eikenhof 11% and Zwartkopjes 7%.

The overall target reservoir storage level is 60%, at which point the system has sufficient pressure to feed the entire area, and water outages are less likely.