Joburg may face thirsty festive season

As Christmas inches closer and the heatwave continues, Joburg Water says it can't guarantee there won't be supply interruptions during the festive season.

“This is because there are issues such as burst pipes which are unplanned. However, Johannesburg Water assures residents the entity endeavours to respond to service delivery issues as timeously as possible,” said spokesperson Nolwazi Dhlamini.

For many Turffontein residents, having water constantly coming out of their taps is a pipe dream as they have been grappling with intermittent supply since the beginning of the year.

Speaking to Sowetan, some residents said they had gone a week without water and would not be surprised if they spend Christmas with dry taps.

Inconsistencies in the provision of water tankers in the area, having to pay for water they don't receive and the inconvenience of not being able to adhere to a strict hygiene regimen were issues adding to their frustrations.

“My bill [for water] is up to R1,000 but I didn’t have water for half the month. I pay for that but I also buy water because the tankers are unreliable,” said resident Casper Sibanda. 

“We see leaking pipes in the streets. Water is flowing down streets but we don’t have water in our taps and we are suffering. Our children can’t bath, you can’t cook. I won’t be shocked if they say there’s no water during Christmas.”  

While the city has provided water tankers in the area, another resident, Lorraine Makgethe, said they were inconsistent.

“I am at work when they come, if they come. We go days without seeing one. When one comes people flood them with their buckets,” she said.

“There was a time when we went close to a month without water. Half the year was spent with me telling my children there’s no water. Imagine a family of four bathing with water from a 2l bottle? My son gets out of the tub and I bath in the same water. Not only is it unfair it’s also costly. In a day, I refill five 2l bottles for R10 at least three times, and then we're still expected to pay the water bill.”

Joburg Water attributes the crisis to ageing infrastructure, financial constraints and population growth.

While areas like Turffontein are the worst hit, others including Brixton and Crown Gardens have to contend with intermittent supply.

A Brixton businessman who asked to remain anonymous said they had received information from a councillor that they should expect no water this weekend.

“The councillor said in a group chat there would be no water the entire weekend. I have to collect water in buckets from my home, where I have a JoJo tank, and bring it to the restaurant,” he said.

The man who sells fast food said the water issue was negatively affecting his business.

“This water situation is a problem. I had inspectors asking why I had water in buckets, saying it is unsanitary. I told them I don’t have a choice because there was no water. They suggested I close on days like that. I can't because this is my income,” he said.

Earlier this week, Joburg Water CEO Ntshavheni Mukwevho said the city faced a backlog of R27bn for infrastructure upgrades and needs R3.1bn annually for the next decade.

The water entity has since proposed solutions including repairing leaking reservoirs, building new facilities and tackling illegal water connections to deal with the crisis.

According to Joburg Water, there are about 42 leaking reservoirs but only 11 are undergoing repairs.

In Turffontein, a 17-year-old boy carrying two buckets and a 2l container in a wheelbarrow said he filled up at a nearby warehouse. He said to fill one container cost R20 and he makes at least five trips a day.

He said he lives with his mother and four brothers on the fifth floor of a multistorey building without a lift.

“My mother doesn't make enough for us to not have to go up and down and give the warehouse R20 five times. Sometimes we don't bath and don't flush the toilet. I want water during Christmas so it's easier for my family, especially my mother,” said the boy.

Asked what was behind Turffontein's water issues, Dhlamini said she was not aware of the situation: “Please provide more information we can give to the depot so they can investigate. Please provide reference numbers for calls logged by customers struggling with water supply, as well as street names and addresses.”

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