2 June 2006 JW intensifies manhole cover up programme Johannesburg Water (Pty) Ltd, the water and sanitation provider for the City of Johannesburg has intensified its programme to replace missing and vandalized manhole covers and valve and meter box covers. This is in conjunction with the Safety Awareness campaign launched by the City of Johannesburg in 2005 in Soweto. Johannesburg Water has conducted a survey of the City with a view of identifying 'hotspot" areas. These consist of areas where missing manhole and meter box covers pose a serious safety threat. The theft of manhole covers and meter covers is an ongoing crime that impacts both on Johannesburg Water and the residents of the City. It leads to increased personal injury and damage to property. As a result, Johannesburg Water has set a side a sum of R3 million to replace 8551 missing manhole covers in Sandton/Alexandra, Soweto, Roodepoort, Johannesburg CBD as well as Deep South. Johannesburg Water anticipates finishing this project by end of June 2006. The covers are primarily stolen for the scrap value. Thieves remove the covers with the intention of selling it to scrap merchants. In light of this the company also decided to use covers that do not have any scrap value wherever possible. Where covers with scrap value are to be used they will be fixed to the frame to make them difficult to remove. The new covers are made of a polymer mixture consisting mainly of concrete and will have no resale or scrap value. Johannesburg Water would however appeal to residents to continue reporting missing covers to the company's 24 hour call centre on 011 688 1500. The company also has available a toll free Tipp-Off Anonymous service on 0800 15000 which residents can use to report on information regarding the theft of covers. This service is completely confidential and will assist Johannesburg Water and South African Police Services in tracking down and arresting culprits. Issued of Behalf of Gerald T. Dumas Managing Director Johannesburg Water (Pty) Limited Issued by Jameel Chand Communications and Marketing Tel: 688 1545 Fax: 688 1528 Cell:082 452 0694