RAND WATER ANNUAL REPORT 2023

HOW WE CREATE VALUE

OUR NATURAL CAPITAL As a supplier of water, our main natural capital is the water that we supply to millions of South Africans. Nature provides us with raw water that we then abstract from the Vaal Dam, treat the water to attain highest quality standards of potable water, pump water to distribute to various reservoirs, and distribute the water to our customers. Rand Water supplied an average of 4 520 Mℓ/d of potable water to our consumers in this year, up from the previous year’s 4 443 Mℓ/d. The Peak day demand in this financial year is 5 199 Mℓ/d achieved in March 2023, compared to 5 069 Mℓ/d achieved in May 2022. We are also contributing to the creation of natural capital through the management of services that promote environmental responsibility, ensures water sustainability and consideration to climate change. OUR INTERACTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT During the period under review, we have taken the strive to interact with the environment by implementing the following: • Safely relocated 51 Beehives/ swarms from Rand Water works areas. These beehives have been safely relocated to a registered beekeeper’s property registered with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) as well as the South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO). • Safely captured and relocated five (5) snakes from Rand Water works areas at Zwartkopjes, Mapleton and Emhlangeni sites by an employee who received the required training on the safe capture and relocation of snakes. • An ecological audit of the Rand Water Rietvlei archaeological ruins and the nature reserve was undertaken as a legal requirement, and maintenance was carried out. • The conducting of ecological burns within the Nature Reserve area at Rietvlei was done in accordance with the Environmental Management Plan. PROTECTING OUR NATURAL CAPITAL Environmental Restoration and Rehabilitation The following activities on various Rand Water sites, properties and servitudes were undertaken to restore and rehabilitate the environment: • Environmental rehabilitation and horticultural site maintenance was undertaken at Water Wise, Process Technology and Analytical Services situated within the Rand Water Vereeniging site, Zuikerbosch and Vereeniging waste disposal sites, as well as various other areas where Rand Water pipes are stored. • Environmental Rehabilitation after construction on various newly installed pipelines. • Installation of Soil Erosion Control structures on various identified Bulk Water Distribution sites. • Maintenance of firebreaks to protect Rand Water properties, assets and infrastructure was undertaken. • Removal and control of listed alien invader plants was undertaken as part of horticultural site maintenance on Rand Water properties, and this was updated in the sites alien invader plant removal programme. • Cleanup of a sewer overflow and environmental rehabilitation at Vereeniging Power Village under the s63 Projects. 2.6 ha of properties were affected by the sewer flooding. • Rand Water properties, servitudes, sites, reservoirs and pipelines were monitored, maintained and environmental rehabilitation

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