Johannesburg Water is grappling with a severe infrastructure crisis, with nearly 26% of the city’s water and sanitation systems classified as being in critical condition, according to the city’s 2023/2024 annual report.
The city's ageing infrastructure, including water pipes, sewer systems, wastewater treatment plants and reservoirs, is deteriorating, putting at risk it's ability to provide reliable water and sanitation services to millions of residents.
According to the City of Johannesburg’s 2023/2024 annual report released on Friday, at least R32.54bn is needed for infrastructure renewal, but limited funding has left Johannesburg Water unable to keep up with necessary replacements and upgrades.
“The strategy in mitigation of the ageing infrastructure portfolio involves prioritising critical assets for replacement under the pipe replacement programme and the Wastewater Works Renewal Programme.
“Where possible, development bulk services contributions are being utilised to upgrade the network as the CoJ develops. Ongoing efforts are also being made to source additional funding to assist in eliminating the infrastructure backlog,” the report read.
The financial strain is equally severe. Johannesburg Water’s renewal rate stands at a mere 1% of the required upgrades, with R7bn urgently needed for water and sewer mains replacements alone.
The utility has identified several key areas for improvement including water mains replacement (R3.3bn), sewer mains replacement (R3.7bn), and wastewater treatment plant upgrades (R7.2bn), but has so far been unable to secure sufficient funding.
“The company has a total infrastructure renewal backlog (i.e. asset with remaining useful life less than 10 years) of R32.54bn because of underfunding, which has also led to having 26% of the asset base that has a remaining useful life of less than 10 years.
“The renewal backlog (i.e. assets with remaining useful lifespan of between 0 to 2 years and assets which are due for upgrade) of R26.1bn requirement ... The strategy in mitigation of the ageing infrastructure portfolio involves prioritising critical assets for replacement under the pipe replacement programme and the wastewater works renewal programme.
“Where possible, development bulk services contributions are being utilised to upgrade the network as the CoJ develops. Ongoing efforts are also being made to source additional funding to assist in eliminating the infrastructure backlog,” states the report.
These incidents, which include burst pipes and sewage blockages, have caused significant water supply disruptions, particularly in underserved areas like informal settlements. The utility is struggling to maintain service levels as it contends with growing population demands and worsening infrastructure conditions.
Despite efforts to secure additional resources, including exploring private sector partnerships and seeking support from the national government, Johannesburg Water’s financial gap continues to grow. The city’s efforts to address the backlog through development contributions have proven insufficient to meet the immediate demands of the deteriorating infrastructure.
The report suggests that without significant intervention, Johannesburg’s ageing water and sanitation systems are poised to face even more frequent disruptions, environmental hazards and public health risks.
Benoit Le Roy, CEO of the South African Water Chamber, emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating that immediate action is needed to address the state of the water network.
“The water and sewage networks are in a dire state, with non-revenue water close to 50% and physical leaks around 37%. These issues must be addressed to avoid a total collapse,” he said.
Le Roy also pointed out that Rand Water is gradually reducing its water supply until September, as instructed by the department of water & sanitation. This reduction is leading to more frequent outages as damaged systems cannot recover when recharged.
“The prognosis is not good,” he added.
Joburg Water did not respond to questions by the time of going to print.
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