No water plus not enough information plus inadequate planning equals a deluge of anger among residents
Credit: OUTA
For the past two weeks, residents across Johannesburg have faced severe water shortages, with inadequate communication from the City and the water utilities.
This is no longer a short-term crisis, but has become the standard way that the City of Johannesburg and its utility Johannesburg Water manage the water system.
The situation is worsened by the lack of transparency and accountability from Joburg Water, City officials and bulk water supplier Rand Water. Despite mounting frustration, neither the mayor nor city leaders have provided meaningful responses or solutions.
“The water challenges over the past two weeks have been mismanaged, with poor communication from Joburg Water and a complete lack of leadership from city officials. The real issue is our crumbling infrastructure, which urgently needs repairs and replacement. Blaming demand is a weak excuse when people have had no water for days. The city must address leaks instead of relying on ineffective short-term solutions like water tankers,” says Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager of WaterCAN.
Joburg faces multiple crises across the water network every day, for various reasons. This makes it difficult for residents to understand why there is no water from their taps on a particular day, how long that will continue, and where or when a water tanker might be available.
WaterCAN notes that Joburg Water has made an effort to put information on its X feed and welcomes this. However, much of this information is too generic to be of help.
Many residents are not sure which reservoir or piece of infrastructure feeds their area, and councillors do not always have this information either. Councillors struggle to get information from City officials. Clearer information is needed: for example, instead of Joburg Water telling us that reservoirs and towers are running low, it would be helpful to include explanations. Is there no water running into a particular reservoir from Rand Water or Joburg Water? Is a reservoir leaking? Is a tower just inadequate infrastructure for the population in the area?
We suggest that Joburg Water set up an online dashboard, with enough information on it for residents to understand which infrastructure affects them and the state of the supply. This should be updated regularly, including every few hours during crises. A central point of information would be helpful, rather than expecting residents to scroll through social media posts to find the relevant information.
Since November 2024, Johannesburg Water has implemented water supply reductions and, as a result, many areas have been experiencing low water for a few months. This week Joburg Water issued information on the state of reservoirs with the supply in many described as strained due to high demand. However, it is unclear why some regions are continually low on water why others are not: is this a problem with management of the system? This is deeply frustrating for residents who have been without water for days – how can demand exceed supply when there has routinely been no water?
Is supply constrained to all areas or only some?
In addition, there were two unexplained power issues at key Rand Water pump stations, Eikenhof and Vereeniging, which shut down the system, leaving many areas without water for extended periods. By now, these crucial systems should have back up power. It would be helpful for Rand Water to provide details of how this is being arranged.
Residents have been forced to endure extreme hardships due to the city’s failure to maintain and invest in critical water infrastructure. The continued lack of decisive action and poor management have only deepened public frustration. Temporary solutions such as the use of water tankers are open to abuse by mafia groups. People are suffering because of leadership failures, and temporary measures will not resolve the root cause of the crisis.
WaterCAN reiterates its call for the City to ring-fence funding for water and sanitation infrastructure and maintenance to ensure long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes. Johannesburg’s residents deserve reliable water access, not excuses.
WaterCAN’s petition calling for a huge increase in the Joburg Water capital expenditure budget was delivered to the City on 25 January 2025 (see here).
We asked the City to table this in council to provide input into the upcoming adjusted budget for 2024/25. The City postponed the council meeting on the adjusted budget and it is now due to be held on 26 February.
More information
A soundclip with comment by Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN Executive Manager is here.
About WaterCAN
WaterCAN is a dedicated environmental organisation committed to preserving and protecting South Africa’s water resources. With a mission to promote responsible water management and raise awareness about water quality, the organisation empowers communities to become proactive stewards of their local water sources. If you would like to support our work, kindly Donate Here.
