Johannesburg, South Africa – Residents in Johannesburg are grappling with ongoing water outages, primarily affecting the northern and western areas of the city. This latest disruption stems from a pipe burst at the Honeydew Tower, which has raised alarm among local residents and prompted calls for immediate action.
Johannesburg Water is currently investigating the situation, which has left parts of Sundowner and North Riding without water since the burst occurred on Sunday evening. The damaged pipe, which carries water from the Honeydew Reservoir, had previously been bent when another pipe burst on September 29. Last week’s major burst had already caused significant outages, impacting approximately 80,000 households and various informal settlements.
Ward 134 councillor Devon Steenkamp reported that although the pipeline was repaired, the bent pipe had not been addressed because it was not causing issues at the time. “The pipe is still broken. It is smaller than the one that burst last week. It runs horizontally and has deteriorated since its last burst,” Steenkamp explained. He added that even the bypass system could not generate sufficient pressure to reach high-lying areas.
Residents have expressed frustration over the lack of alternative water supplies, with no sight of promised water tankers. In a statement to residents on Tuesday morning, Johannesburg Water acknowledged that the Honeydew Tower was empty and assured that a team was on-site assessing the damage.
Affected areas include Bellairs Park, Boskruin, Cosmo City, Honeydew Manor, and several others. Johannesburg Water has indicated that alternative supply measures are being arranged for these regions.
Reservoir Leakages Add to Concerns
Adding to the woes, WaterCAN, a water advocacy group, revealed that 42 out of Johannesburg’s 87 reservoirs are leaking. Dr. Ferrial Adam, executive manager of WaterCAN, criticized Johannesburg Water for the delayed disclosure of this information. “The City loses 46.1% of its potable water to non-revenue water,” she stated, highlighting that 35% of this loss is due to physical leaks.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also raised concerns regarding ongoing water issues, particularly in the South Hills area, where residents have reportedly been without water for five days. DA Johannesburg caucus deputy chair Michael Crichton emphasized the need for transparency and accountability from Johannesburg Water, labeling their explanations as “vague at best.”
Crichton noted that the South Hills Water Tower has been particularly affected, and he called for a thorough investigation into the crisis. The DA plans to submit questions to the Environment, Infrastructure and Service Department and is considering legal action to demand more information regarding the city’s water infrastructure challenges.
As residents endure another round of water outages, the pressure mounts on city officials to deliver answers and implement sustainable solutions to these recurring issues.