Johannesburg residents in several suburbs will have a 72-hour water outage. Johannesburg Water announced the interruption, which will begin on 6 December at 20:00 and end on 9 December at 20:00, as part of an infrastructure upgrade at the Hector Norris Pump station.
Suburbs affected include Johannesburg CBD, Newtown, Selby, Jeppestown, Doornfontein, Forest Hill, Turffontein, Rosettenville, La Rochelle, and Turf Club.
The project involves the installation of four isolating valves to improve water service delivery. During this period, all streets in the affected areas will experience a complete water shutdown, with roaming water tankers providing temporary relief.
DA calls for accountability amid crises
As The South African previously reported, The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has criticised Johannesburg Water’s handling of the city’s water challenges.
Regional Chairperson Wendy Alexander stated the persistent water issues in Johannesburg reflect years of negligence. Critical infrastructure repairs have been ignored, and now residents are paying the price.
Alexander also called for the Johannesburg Water Board to be dissolved, citing incompetence and poor management.
“Our residents have suffered through multiple years of water disruptions, with some areas affected for extended periods without this basic human right,” she added.
Chronic water challenges persist in Gauteng
Johannesburg’s water woes are compounded by population growth, illegal connections, and ageing infrastructure.
According to the 2023 No Drop report by the Department of Water and Sanitation, the city suffers a water loss rate of 35%, far exceeding the global average of 15%. Additionally, Gauteng residents consume an average of 279 litres per person daily, 60% above the global average.
To mitigate the crisis, Johannesburg Water has implemented water throttling from 21:00 to 4:00 and imposed Level 1 restrictions since September.
Do you believe Johannesburg Water is taking the proper steps to secure the city’s water future?
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