Water and sanitation deputy minister David Mahlobo has warned that urgent pipe replacement and expanded storage infrastructure are critical if Johannesburg hopes to stabilise its fragile water system.
Speaking during oversight visits and engagements with the city, Mahlobo said ageing infrastructure remains at the heart of the metro’s water challenges.
“For Johannesburg to stabilise the system pipe replacement is an urgent issue,” said Mahlobo.
He stressed that the city’s rapid population growth and economic pull continue to strain a pressured system.
“Johannesburg will never be stabilised. There’s too many people coming here. The industry needs money. This is the economic hub,” he said.
Mahlobo emphasised storage capacity is central to long-term stability.
“We need you to be able to create storage. That is what [water and sanitation minister] Pemmy Majodina is saying, and without storage we will be unable to do that,” he said.
He called on Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero to accelerate infrastructure development, particularly reservoirs and pump stations, while urging Rand Water to prepare for increased supply from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
“Executive mayor Morero, for all these issues of growth of population [and] people wanting to invest here, has to build more reservoirs. He must build more pump stations, and Rand Water on the other side must be ready to receive water from Lesotho,” said Mahlobo.
While some progress has been made through load-shifting and soft water restrictions, Mahlobo cautioned the system remains fragile.
“The system will remain vulnerable but the stabilisation that includes load-shifting and soft restriction will allow us to start to see the results. As of this morning, we were with you. You saw the results,” he said.
He noted water has begun returning to certain areas, but warned panic behaviour could undermine recovery efforts.
“There are areas where we’re starting to see water. Guess what? When you start to see water, you know what citizens will do? They are panicking. They will start withdrawing it. And some of them, they will start hogging it,” he said.
Mahlobo urged residents to use water responsibly, warning that improvements remain delicate.
“That’s why the role of citizens is going to be important. Tomorrow, the system will be a bit better. But the system can get worse at any time, depending on infrastructure failure, depending on the behaviour of citizens,” he said.
“By Sunday, we’ll be looking much better, where most of our reservoirs are going to be managed,” he said.
Morero said the city is already moving to boost capacity in high-growth areas such as Midrand.
Addressing the media at Johannesburg Water’s Midrand depot, Morero confirmed work is under way to build four new reservoirs and three water towers to meet increasing demand.
“We have been working towards developing extra capacity in Midrand. That is why we will be completing the first tower. We are doing three towers, and we are doing four new reservoirs in this area because we are cognisant of the development,” said Morero.
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