• Tshwane closes 42 illegal car washes in Mamelodi that are draining the local water supply.

• The city promises to help owners register properly and reopen their businesses legally.

Tshwane has told car wash operations in townships to close, saying they are one of the biggest reasons local water reservoirs are running dry.

The metro is using Metro and Gauteng police to shut down illegal car washes that are using too much water, especially in Mamelodi where residents often go without water.

Deputy chief whip of the Tshwane council, Collen Marishane, told Scrolla.Africa they found the problem when checking water levels.

Even though they close the water supply from 10pm to 6am to save water, the reservoirs still run nearly empty within hours of reopening.

“When we conducted our checks and balances, we identified that one of the biggest drawers is the car washes. The problem with these small businesses is that they are not formalised, metered or billed. Their water usage runs into an accounted water loss in the City,” he said.

The City has identified about 42 car washes in Mamelodi alone that must stop operating. Those that don’t comply will be shut down by force.

But there is hope for the car wash owners. Marishane said the city will help them register properly through the municipal Department of Economic Development.

“We will also bring in the departments of Water and Sanitation, Roads and Transport and Electricity to advise on how they can go about running their businesses without damaging the infrastructure,” he said.

The car washes must stay closed until owners follow the proper procedures to register their businesses.

Pictured above: Car washes shut down in Mamelodi.

Source: Supplied