Johannesburg is facing a severe water crisis ahead of local elections expected by November, with the city losing more than a third of its daily water supply through burst pipes, according to reports from Reuters and TimesLIVE.
Infrastructure Decay and Water Losses
Dry taps have become a daily frustration for residents in neighborhoods like Hillbrow, where student Thandani Masangu reported spending three hours wheeling empty containers on a trolley to search for water. Craig Sheridan, who is the founder and director of the Centre in Water Research and Development at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, has gathered municipal statistics showing that daily water losses in the city reach roughly 655 million litres, equivalent to 173 million gallons. Zakhele Khuzwayo, senior manager for innovation and technology at the city-owned utility Johannesburg Water, acknowledged the severity of the situation in an interview, stating that “the infrastructure is old” and that a lot of it is more than 50 years old. Analysts note that climate change is exacerbating these water woes by increasing the volume lost to evaporation.
Municipal Budgetary Crisis and Treasury Sanctions
The water shortages coincide with a mounting financial crisis at the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. In July, the National Treasury withheld funding from Johannesburg—a commercial capital that accounts for more than a sixth of South Africa’s GDP—following multiple failures to meet financial management requirements. The National Treasury stated that the city’s latest 97.1 billion rand ($6 billion) budget is unfunded, as planned spending, including higher municipal wages, exceeds realistic revenue projections. A spokesperson for Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero did not respond to an emailed request for comment regarding water supplies and the broader budget, though national press quoted Morero last month attributing unpaid debts to system glitches that disrupted payments.
Did You Know? As municipal reliability worsens, Albertus Lombaard, representing the Borehole Water Association, notes that people living in Gauteng province—which encompasses both Johannesburg and Pretoria—have installed 10,000 boreholes over the past ten years.
Political Fallout and Voter Disillusionment
Water failures have emerged as a prominent electoral grievance as South Africa prepares for local polls expected by November, threatening the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Public anger over poor municipal services previously reduced the ANC’s share of the vote to under half in the 2021 local elections for the first time since the end of apartheid, leading up to the party losing its majority in national polls less than three years later. Residents such as Raymond Maleka, who will be old enough to vote in this year’s polls, and former ANC member Lindiwe Ndlovu have stated they will not choose the party. Ndlovu, a 53-year-old flat owner in Hillbrow, noted that authorities cut off her block in 2019 for non-payment using excessive estimates from a broken, unreplaced meter, despite a court order issued in May instructing the utility to restore the water.
Expert Insight: Municipal maintenance backlogs and crumbling public infrastructure often take a back seat to more visible budget allocations, leaving local utilities overwhelmed and forcing residents who can afford it to create independent utility systems.
The Rise of Private Off-Grid Infrastructure
While lower-income residents queue for water trucks, wealthier inhabitants of Johannesburg are increasingly bypassing the municipality altogether. Property owners are drilling private boreholes alongside installing solar panels and hiring private recycling collectors to cope with failing municipal services. Litigation lawyer Thea Kilian stated that she spent 100,000 rand to drill a borehole and install tanks and filters after a frustrating shutdown, noting that her street’s WhatsApp group receives constant reports of water problems while her own private setup keeps her lawn green and swimming pool full.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much water does Johannesburg lose daily?
According to data collected by Craig Sheridan, Johannesburg loses an estimated 655 million litres, or 173 million gallons, of water a day through burst pipes.
Why did the National Treasury withhold funding from Johannesburg?
The National Treasury withheld funding in July after the city failed to meet financial management requirements and submitted an unfunded 97.1 billion rand budget where planned spending exceeded realistic revenue projections.
How are wealthier residents responding to the water shortages?
Wealthier residents are increasingly going off-grid by drilling private boreholes, with Albertus Lombaard of the Borehole Water Association estimating that 10,000 boreholes have been drilled across Gauteng province over the past decade.
How are water shortages impacting your daily routine or community planning?
Keep reading