WaterCAN demands urgent action on Johannesburg’s water crisis
Credit: Canva
WaterCAN, an initiative of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), calls on the City of Johannesburg to urgently address the escalating water crisis by allocating sufficient funds in the City’s adjustment budget to its entity Johannesburg Water to repair and upgrade the city’s water infrastructure.
With millions of litres of water wasted daily due to leaking pipes, aging infrastructure and insufficient maintenance, Johannesburg is at risk of a water disaster that threatens public health, economic stability and the environment. Communities across the city are enduring prolonged water outages, and underserved areas are disproportionately affected by unreliable supply.
“The City of Johannesburg must do more to address the water problems and bring relief to residents,” says Dr Ferrial Adam, Executive Manager for WaterCAN. “Water is a constitutional right, and the City has a responsibility to provide clean, reliable water to all its residents. The current state of our water infrastructure is unacceptable and demands more action, and one of these actions is to provide sufficient funding to Joburg Water which will enable it to address more water issues.”
A call to action
WaterCAN is spearheading a petition to the City of Johannesburg, calling for the Joburg Water capital budget to be more than doubled to R3 billion for 2024/25 and for the same again for 2025/26.
In our petition, we call upon the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Water to do the following:
- Urgently increase the Johannesburg Water capital expenditure budget to R3 billion for 2024/25 and R3 billion for 2025/26, in the City’s adjustment budget process in January/February 2025.
- Prioritise upgrading and maintaining water infrastructure.
- Ensure reliable water supply to all communities, especially those most affected by current deficiencies.
- Implement sustainable water management practices to protect our city’s future water security.
- Ringfence sufficient water and sanitation revenue to sustain these services.
- Improve governance by providing a detailed breakdown of spending in the Johannesburg Water operational budget, including clearly identifying spending on purchasing bulk water and equipment, and on maintenance.
- Improve governance by ensuring transparency in procurement, by publishing up-to-date details of all tenders, the projects they are linked to, the names of all bidders, the value of all bids submitted, and the name and amount of the winning bidders.
The petition, accessible here, is a platform for residents to raise their voices and demand accountability from the city’s leadership. WaterCAN is following the legislated process to table this petition to the City.
The cost of inaction
The financial and human cost of ignoring Johannesburg’s water crisis is significant:
- Health risks: Leaks and interruptions increase the risk of waterborne diseases.
- Economic impact: Businesses suffer from disrupted operations due to water shortages.
- Social impact: Critical institutions like hospitals, courts, schools and municipal offices can’t function without water access. Families cannot cook, clean or maintain personal hygiene.
- Environmental degradation: Wasted water exacerbates the strain on already limited resources.
WaterCAN emphasises that proactive investment in water infrastructure is not just a necessity but a moral imperative. It’s a chance to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and build resilience against future challenges. “When water leaks and interruptions become the norm, it’s the marginalised communities that suffer the most. Businesses flee to wealthier municipalities, leaving behind joblessness and despair. Health risks skyrocket, and municipalities spiral into bankruptcy. We must act now to ensure water justice for all,” says Adam.
“Water leaks and interruptions are not just inconveniences; they are symptoms of a much larger problem,” says Julius Kleynhans, Executive Manager for Local Government at OUTA. “We are calling on all Johannesburg residents to sign the petition and share it widely. Together, we can compel the City to act in the best interest of the people and exercise our constitutional rights by participating meaningfully in the City’s affairs as its stakeholders.”
OUTA participated in the City’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Budget process earlier this year, highlighting the risk of underfunding Joburg Water. Unfortunately, under the council and leadership at the time, recommendations to increase the budget on maintenance, operations and infrastructure were ignored. This left Joburg Water with a capital expenditure budget of only R1.221 billion for 2024/25, even though it asked for R2.5 billion.
The City’s budget shows that Johannesburg Water is expected to bill customers R10.632 billion for water services plus R7.246 billion for sanitation services during 2024/25, a total revenue of R17.878 billion and intended to cover all its operational expenditure budget of R17.658 billion. The capital expenditure budget is separate, and includes grant funding from national government. The utility’s billing and collections are managed centrally by the City of Joburg which, over the years, has retained control of any annual surplus.
“A municipality has a clear mandate, which includes providing basic services. Johannesburg Water should have sufficient revenue from the sale of water and sanitation services. Yet the maintenance, upgrading and extending of infrastructure is inadequate, and every day we see the evidence of failing infrastructure. It is unacceptable that non-core services are funded or prioritised when the basic services and core functions aren’t met. This must change now,” says Kleynhans.
How You Can Help
Residents are encouraged to:
- Sign the petition: Add your voice to the call for urgent action by signing the petition here.
- Participate in the City’s public meetings: Engage with the City’s budget and development processes.
- Spread the word: Share the petition and this call to action with your networks.
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.
