WATCH | No water shortage, just system failure: Joburg’s water crisis laid bare at reservoir launch

Water and sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina says Johannesburg’s water crisis is not due to a lack of supply but rather failing infrastructure and distribution systems.

Majodina was speaking on Wednesday as the city launched the Brixton reservoir and tower to help deal with the ongoing water challenges being experienced in some parts of the city.

This comes as the government said it had given Johannesburg three months to make progress in addressing the crisis in February, when President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a delegation to intervene.

Majodina said while the launch marks a significant milestone, it must be understood within the broader context of water challenges in the city.

“We do not have a water crisis in terms of availability; we have enough bulk water supply. The challenge lies in reticulation and the provision of water,” she said.

She added that the Brixton reservoir should not be viewed as a standalone solution.

“It is precisely in this context that today’s achievement must be understood. The Brixton reservoir and water tower is not an isolated development. It is part of a broader, co-ordinated effort to stabilise and strengthen the water supply system in Johannesburg,” Majodina said.

Brixton and surrounding areas were among the hardest hit during outages earlier this year, with some residents going without water for between 14 and 27 days.

“This critical infrastructure will restore supply stability and ensure greater self-reliability for thousands of residents and key institutions. We are here to affirm that water is life, and water security is not negotiable,” she said.

“The challenges we face include ageing infrastructure, economic and population growth, climate variability and the rapid expansion of informal settlements. There are also issues of water theft, illegal connections and vandalism.”

She called on residents to play a role in protecting infrastructure.

“We, as residents of Johannesburg, must take responsibility. We must guard against those who vandalise infrastructure, because it affects all of us,” she said.

The Brixton reservoir is part of efforts to strengthen the city’s Commando system and improve supply to western and central areas, including Brixton, Auckland Park, Mayfair, Westbury, Melville and Parktown West.

Key institutions such as Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital and the University of Johannesburg are expected to benefit from improved water reliability.

Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero said the development significantly improves capacity and flexibility, with storage increasing from 20 megalitres to 46 megalitres in the reservoir and from one megalitre to three megalitres in the tower.

He acknowledged, however, that infrastructure backlogs continue to be a major challenge, with the city facing an estimated R27bn shortfall in water and sanitation investment.

“The city, with support from National Treasury, is implementing strategies to make service entities self-sufficient. Service trading reforms have already been tabled in council. We have proposed various strategic shifts to ensure the company operates as a ringfenced entity,” he said.

Capital investment in Johannesburg Water has increased from R1.2bn to R1.7bn, with additional support from the national government, but Morero admitted this is still not enough to fully address the backlog.

He said they are in the process of refurbishing 22 reservoirs across the city to improve water supply.

Sowetan