A whopping R800m. That is how much Ekurhuleni loses annually to water thieves.
Thieves and “pirate plumbers” are draining Gauteng metros’ water budgets, with Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni annually losing a combined R1.2bn worth of water to criminals. Annually in Tshwane and Johannesburg, 25-billion and 15.6-billion litres are stolen respectively.
Most of the theft occurs from illegal connections to fire hydrants, bulk-water pipes and by people bypassing metres.
Last month, Tshwane officials, responding to complaints of three months of water outages in Mamelodi East, discovered a 2km pipe plugged into one of the city’s biggest reservoirs.
More than 500,000 people live in the township.
The pipeline from the Mamelodi Reservoir 4 was supplying water to informal settlements in the area.
A city source said suspected thieves were also using tankers to sell water back to parched residents who were legally connected to Tshwane’s water network.
Mamelodi East crèche owner Thembisile Ntuli said since June they had battled with water supplies.
“There are so many interruptions because of the theft. When we do have water, it trickles out the taps. The taps don’t flow every day.
“I have 15 children here. The lack of water is creating a health hazard. With Covid-19, the situation is even worse.”
She said every day at 5am she collected 150 litres of water from a nearby fire hydrant.
“The city cannot guarantee me water supplies, so what must I do? I must make sure the children are looked after. Daily people come with water tankers selling water. They are not from the city. I don’t know where their water comes from. It is expensive. They sell 10 litres for R150. It’s robbery.”
Mamelodi East resident Sibongile Morudu said they were desperate.
“Every day is a guess as to whether we will have water. July, August and September were terrible. We had no water. We have had water for two weeks now, but it keeps cutting. We think the thieves have laid another pipe.”
She said her family got water from a nearby fire hydrant.
“There is a river here. We use it to wash clothes, but that’s it.”
City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said inspections led to the discovery of a 2km above-ground pipeline, used as an illegal conduit to the Baviaanspoort informal settlement.
“The pipeline was cut up by us, rendering it unusable.”
He said theft from the reservoir occurred for three months.
“Because the water was not metered, as it was at the reservoir, the exact amount stolen is unknown.
“It is suspected the connection was done by someone who has plumbing experience. No one has been apprehended.
“The losses are made up of water theft and metering and billing inaccuracies.”
It is suspected the connection was done by someone who has plumbing experience. No one has been apprehended.
— City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo
He said the worst-affected areas were Mamelodi, Winterveldt and Olievenhoutbosch.
“The theft occurs [through] illegal connections to existing water networks, including main water pipes, fire hydrants and water-meter bypasses. The impact is very low water pressure and outages in some areas, such as parts of Mamelodi.”
Ekurhuleni city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said: “Companies and private individuals target fire hydrants. We have reports of people breaking open fire hydrants and filling up water tankers. Illegal miners steal water by damaging water pipes.”
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Eleanor Mavimbela said the metro lost 1.3-billion litres of water a month to theft. “The loss is R160,6m annually.”
She said areas most affected were Johannesburg central and south.
“The majority of theft occurs through illegal water connections at individual properties. Theft also happens through contractors filling up water tankers illegally at fire hydrants for construction purposes.”
Water expert Mike Muller said SA was in danger of developing a culture in which infrastructure was something to be harvested as a source of income instead of a means of providing services.
Water specialist Dr Anthony Turton said between 30% and 60% of SA’s water was unaccounted for. “One of the big reasons is theft.”
Water Institute of SA member Neil MacLeod, the former eThekwini Water and Sanitation head, said water theft was pervasive.
“There is not a single municipality which is not affected. Pirate plumbers charge R600 for illegal connections, compared with municipalities charging on average R2,000.
“Theft is caused by illegal connections, non-metering of homes and municipalities not reading meters.
“In eThekwini, an estimated 100,000 houses are connected to the city’s bulk water systems, but are not metered. This is theft.”
Pirate plumbers charge R600 for illegal connections, compared with municipalities charging on average R2,000.
— Neil MacLeod, the former eThekwini Water and Sanitation head
In an inspection of Gauteng water infrastructure this month, water and sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu said vandalism was a growing trend.
“Vandalism is occurring everywhere.”
Alderman Xanthea Limberg, Cape Town MMC for water and waste, said it estimated about 1,2% of reticulated water was lost annually to theft, equating to R21,6m.
She said theft happened throughout the city through the bypassing of meters, from fire hydrants and from main water-supply systems.
Limberg said thieves also filled water tankers.
“The loss of water reduces the resources available to keep our system working reliably.
“Illegal tie-ins into water supply mains cause water pressure to drop significantly, in some cases resulting in no pressure at the official access point.”
Rand Water, the City of eThekwini and the department of water and sanitation failed to respond to questions regarding water theft.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.