As Day Zero looms in Joburg, the news of the City’s 42 leaking reservoirs underlines the need for transparency
Credit: OUTA
The revelation that half of the City of Joburg’s water reservoirs leak and that the City plans to repair only half of those is shocking, but the release of this information is welcome.
“It’s infuriating that Joburg Water is only now disclosing the extent of the leaks in the reservoirs, but we are relieved they are starting to provide information. We’ve been seeking answers for ages, with a letter sent in October 2023 and civil society’s call to action in May 2024. The City’s residents are deeply concerned, with anxiety mounting over a potential Day Zero. Beyond just outlining the challenges, we need detailed information on what needs repairing, the level or urgency of each repair, and the timeline and costs for repairs, especially since the City claims it lacks funds for water infrastructure,” says Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager for WaterCAN, which is an OUTA initiative.
On Monday 7 October, the City’s utility Joburg Water said (see here) it has identified leaks in 42 reservoirs and has plans in place to repair 20 of them, with the repairs “at various stages” and due to continue “over the next few years”. Joburg Water has told OUTA that it has 87 reservoirs, so this means about half are leaking. Joburg Water also said it plans to retrofit smart-flow controllers on the outlets of 28 high-consumption reservoirs and towers to help stabilise water levels, and roll out smart meters to homes to better manage water consumption.
There was no indication from Joburg Water how long it has known about the leaks in the reservoirs, how serious they are or how much water is lost from them. Joburg Water’s turnaround strategy document tabled in the City of Joburg council in July 2024 notes that non-revenue water has reached 46.1%, an indication of a severe problem. That document includes repairing an unspecified number of reservoirs in its list of 13 priorities, saying the 2021-2026 plan includes spending R30 million in the first phase of a project estimated to cost R330 million. The City’s capital expenditure budget for 2024/25 includes mention of work on 17 reservoirs and towers worth about R290 million in 2024/25 (President Park tower reservoir, Blue Hills tower, new reservoirs in Carlswald, Woodmead reservoir, Robertville tower, Erand tower in Midrand, Pretoriusrand tower and reservoir, Halfway House reservoir, Brixton reservoir, Diepsloot reservoir, Linksfield reservoir, Bryanston tower, Lenasia reservoir, Linbro Park tower, Cosmo City reservoir and Forest Hill tower).
The City faces ongoing breakdowns of water infrastructure and is currently dealing with a major outage following the break in the outlet of the Honeydew water tower on Sunday (see here).
Also on Monday, Joburg Water gave updates on several key projects it is working on to reduce water losses. These include the Commando system project, which involves upgrades to the Brixton reservoir, tower, and pump station, as well as improvements to the Hursthill and Crosby reservoirs.
South Africa loses almost 47% of its water due to leaks, theft and lack of proper billing. This together with increased demand and a changing climate means that we have less water available. The City of Johannesburg has implemented level 1 water restrictions which limits when and how residents use water.
“These restrictions are important but people’s anger and frustration over days of no water, increasing leaks and untenable water bills could result in people ignoring government restrictions. We all have a role to play. People should use water sparingly (when they have it), report every single leak until it is fixed, and report any misuse of water. Getting through this crisis requires transparency from all levels of government. We cannot stress it more: we really need improved, open, and transparent communication about the state of our water infrastructure and the quality of our drinking water, warts and all,” says Adam.
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.
