Water consumption across Gauteng’s metropolitans has exceeded set targets, with Rand Water once again warning that the water systems are constrained.

Rand Water continues to produce over 5 000 megalitres a day, after having increased its maximum peak water production to 5 200 megalitres a day following the launch of Station 5A earlier this year.

“Currently, Rand Water is extracting above its water licence and pumping at maximum [to] provide more water to municipalities. Accordingly, there is no additional water to be produced from Rand Water systems,” the water utility said in a statement issued over the weekend.

About 80% of the water pumped by Rand Water goes to the Gauteng metropolitans, with the combined weekly water consumption, from November 27 to December 4, about 11.8% higher than the set target, implying that the metropolitans continue to consume more water than their set targets.

Technical teams from Rand Water and Gauteng metropolitans continue to collaborate in implementing interventions that strive to stabilise reservoir levels and water supply to various areas.

However, efforts to stabilise the system are met with continued high-water consumption, therefore the system is fast depleting.

Rand Water hereby cautions that, should this high consumption continue unabated, the water systems will eventually collapse.

“Rand Water is producing and pumping at full capacity and cannot add any more water into the system, demand is outstripping supply,” the utility said, adding that the company had also noted a significant increase in debtors’ days while more water was being pumped.

“This situation is untenable and the immediate solution to it is to reduce consumption and for municipalities to decrease their debtors’ days.”