Water and Sanitation in Johannesburg

Buildings

Waste water and water pipes are not being properly fitted and maintained  on buildings according to the city of Johannesburg bylaws. Waste water pipes from buildings should not discharge onto pavements. Internal pipes water and waste water, need to be properly maintained in order to prevent blockages. Due to this poor maintenance both inside and outside the building there are many buildings which have flooded basements.

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Fire Force

Due to cut offs, residents are making use of the fire service as a source of water. This is illegal to make a connection from free service to a domestic supply. Meters will be installed on fire services to monitor consumption.

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Provision

The influx of taxes into the CBD has raised new issues relating to the uncontrolled usage of water for washing of taxes. Many Taxi Entrepreneurs vandalize Johannesburg Water's valves and hydrants in order to scoop out water from the chambers. To control the wastage JW provides metered standpipes at certain taxi ranks, with a view of educating the taxi drivers to take responsibility of these metered standpipes.

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Covers

In order to replace and fix meter and connections, we require access to the meters. Hawkers/street sellers should avoid placing their tables on top of the meter valves. JW will require access to valves when in the process of repairing water mains. The yellow line on the corners of the roads prevent cars from parking close to or on top of valves. 

Sewer covers which are located on the pavement,(are not built by JW) cover the inspection eye of the sewer connection which leads into the building. Should a private blockage occur, the blockage can be cleared from the access point.

This cover is the responsibility of the owner of the building and missing cover is a serous danger to pedestrians using the pavement.

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Discharge of waste water causing pollution

Soap water from taxis, which are being washed on in the street, eventually ends up in our rivers, and pollutes our rivers and environment. Food vendors selling on the street corners dispose the fat into storm water channel, which also ends up in our rivers. Old food which accumulates in the storm water channel can health hazards. Old motor car oil from cars being fixed is also disposed of into the storm water and ends up in our rivers causing pollution. 

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Meter Boxes

It is essential that meter boxes be kept clean of refuse. The boxes need to be kept clean in order for the meters to be read, and maintained. Hawkers should not use meter boxes as a refuse container.

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Food outlets/ Restaurants/ Hotels

The above are supposed to have a grease trap which collects grease/fats from food processing/preparing. It prevents the fat from hardening and clogging the line, thus causing a main blockage through the line.

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Basement

In most case, flooded basements in buildings are an internal problem, e.g. a burst water/broken sewer/private blockage. Basements can also flood due to a burst on a main. Basements need to be sealed, e.g. cracks in walls. External plumbing, e.g. pipes must be properly maintained. Basement must be made waterproof.     _______________________________________________________________

Difference between storm water and waste water system:

A large proportion of water sewer network in the CBD is superimposed. This means that the sewer mains are located beneath the storm water channel. Therefore blockages in a superimposed system can spill over into the water system, and eventually contaminates our river systems. Foreign objects such as rocks, rags, paper and tires etc. are often the cause of such blockages. For a cleaner environment care should be taken to keep these foreign objects out of our sewer system.

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