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15 May 2007 The City of Johannesburg has already saved more than 16,5 million kilolitres of water to the value of R46 million through its Operation Gcin'amanzi programme in Soweto, the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Councillor Amos Masondo, said in New York today (15 May). Mayor Masondo was a speaker at the C40 Large Cities Summit on climate change held in New York. Mayors, governors and representatives from 45 of the world's largest cities are attending the four-day event to discuss issues related to water and energy conservation, the reduction of carbon emissions and alternative energy sources. Former US President, Bill Clinton, delivered the key note address and Mayor Masondo was a participant in a panel discussion on the first day together with the Governor of Tokyo, Mr Shintaro Ishihara and the Mayor of Austin, Texas, Mr Will Wynn. Mayor Masondo said Operation Gcin'amanzi was launched in 2001 to address the issue of unaccounted for water within the city's reticulation network. Because of ageing infrastructure millions of litres of water were "lost" annually through underground leakages or burst pipes. The city embarked on a comprehensive campaign to replace old infrastructure, fix household leaks and install pre-paid water meters to assist residents in managing their domestic water consumption. "This project has already reduced bulk purchases from Rand Water and we have created 11 500 jobs since its inception," said Mayor Masondo. "We are well on our way to meet our target of (only) 25% unaccounted for water by 2011." Johannesburg also introduced stringent measures to reduce commercial water losses through leak detection and repairs within 24 hours, pipe surveys covering more than 7 000 kilometer of the water network every year, corrosion protection and the replacement of old and worn out infrastructure. Mayor Masondo said Johannesburg is acutely aware of the impact of climate change and changing weather and rainfall patterns on the urban landscape. "We are also aware that unless we do something now, future generations will suffer the wrath of our irresponsible actions," he said. The City is focusing very strongly on reducing energy demand with the objective to reduce the electricity consumption in Johannesburg by 25 Megawatt hours over the next five years. Among the steps taken by the city are:
Mayor Masondo called on delegates to become involved in the "global struggle" to address the impact of climate change. "Let us work together and provide guidance and leadership by demonstrating that by thinking globally and acting locally we can change the world," he said.
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