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Johannesburg Emergency Water Supply

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Water Infrastructure

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On the 3 June 2024, Rand Water announced a proactive and planned infrastructure and asset maintenance initiative to run later that month, from 22 June to 29 July—the intent to upgrade pipes and improve water supply.[1] Rand Water’s media release explained that water availability in the wider Johannesburg Metropolitan Region would be impacted as the pumping from Eikenhof,[2] Zwartkopjes[3] Palmiet and Mapleton systems would be reduced to effect repairs to infrastructure.

On the 13 of June 2024, at the 27th Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting, the MMC for Finance (Counsellor Dada Morero) requested that the council to approve a R2.5 billion loan from Agence Française de Développement (FDA) to finance the repairs. This would be repaid over 15 years. Total repayment costs of R5.7 billion.[4]

Impacted Areas

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Johannesburg Water claimed it was prepared for Rand Water's "Winter Water Shutdown".[5][6] Residents were notified about five weeks of water interruptions beforehand. As the water throttling proceeded, The Daily Maverick reported[7] that many suburbs (Observatory, Kensington, Greenside, Emmarentia, Melville, North Riding, Crown Mines, Bergbron, Killarney, Witpoortjie and parts of Randburg), were unable to access water and their taps run dry.[8] Joburg Water, (an independent company with the City of Johannesburg its only shareholder),[9] reassured residents that the reduced “flow pressure” is not a crisis.[10] Interruptions to supply during the 37 day [11] planned maintenance period would occur.[12] Four service providers [citation needed] would dispatch eighty-five roaming water trucks to relieve those with empty taps in the affected regions.[13] 250 JoJo tanks will also be stationed at specific locations (hospitals, clinics, senior homes, schools, police stations, direct feed areas) to assist residents.[14] Confidence, from the northern suburbs, in water providers capacity to manage supply, had been shaken by a nine-day water shutdown, caused by a closed valve.[15] Allegations of nepotism around the appointment of a chief operations officer, have contributed to an erosion of trust.[16]

Water Sector Infrastructure

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Johannesburg's water grid faces multiple challenges. Immediate issues are leaking pipes, faulty or broken water meters, illegal connections and poor billing and revenue collection.[17] Poor operation and infrastructure maintenance have led to unnecessary vulnerabilities in the system.[18] For example, non-revenue water (NRW) sat at 44.8% in 2023. COJ Water pays Rand Water (the supplier) for bulk water but does not collect revenue for half of it, as it is lost.[19] Longer term issues are the erosion of trust[20] and a deterioration in municipal drinking water quality, according to the “Blue Drop, Green Drop and No Drop” reports.[21] That indicates that 50% of drinking water systems are not drinkable.[22]

Water Stress in South Africa

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Water Supply in South Africa is a critical matter since the country is a water-scarce country [23] The debate among experts was, at one time, whether this scarcity could be attributed to physical or economic factors. As of 2009, the consensus was that South Africa was not facing a water crisis.[24] These opinions may need to be revised.

This "instability of supply" can be attributed to poor governance.[25] Corruption in the South African water sector has become systemic.[26] The Department of Water and Sanitation are expected to act as the custodian of South Africa's water resources.[27] They have not been able to fulfill their mandate. A report by Corruption Watch and the Water Integrity Network in 2020 noted that corruption in the Department of Water and Sanitation exacerbates water shortages in South Africa.[28] Although South Africa may be a water-scarce country, drought is not the only cause of water insecurity. The corruption that extends from "taps in rural villages to the systems that supply South Africa’s economic heartland"[29] has exacerbated the situation.

The more significant issue is about the just allocation of water resources and the effects of state capture on water supply across the country. South Africa is one of the few countries worldwide that has enshrined the fundamental right to sufficient water in its Constitution. "Everyone has the right to have access to [...] sufficient food and water."[30] Despite the Mazibuko vs COJ judgement, where the constitutional court addressed the fundamental constitutional right of access to water.[31] Water-related rights and the allocation of water resources should address poverty, equity and create jobs, and economic growth. Across South Africa, water-stressed places get by.[32] Water-shedding is common in many towns and villages across the country.[33][34] Water scarcity only enters the news headlines, when a water supply crisis affects a major economic centre, such as the Cape Town water crisis or what is well known in Johannesburg, where there's another example of infrastructure and maintenance that is no longer adequately controlled and managed.[35]

Constitutionally Informed Action is Required

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Water allocation remains an ongoing challenge for the whole of South Africa, with numerous calls for action for the private sector to address the water issue.[36] Water allocation at present is focused primarily on either big business or middle class communities[37] at the expense of vulnerable communities located in remote regions.[38]

Water instability in Johannesburg is a blow to the city's reputation as a “World Class African City”, but challenges in water management also have to be seen as part of the greater climate change crisis.[39] Johannesburg has yet just begun to reckon with water scarcity, let alone the warmer and drier conditions that climate change models predict[40] or the drier and warmer conditions which have implications for livelihoods. If water scarcity is to be addressed, then immediate and decisive constitutionally informed action is necessary.[41] Perhaps the city and the country need a Water Indaba[42]

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References

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  1. ^ Maroo, Makenosi (3 June 2024). "Rand Water Embarks on Proactive Extensive Maintenance during Winter Months to Improve Reliability and Efficiency of its Water Infrastructure" (PDF). Rand Water. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Rand Water Eikenhof Pump station". johannesburgwater.co.za. 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Zwartkopjes Pumpstation". johannesburgwater.co.za. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  4. ^ "CoJ fails to convince council of multi-billion Rand loan".
  5. ^ Selane, Enkosi (2024-06-19). "Long water shutdown looms over Joburg: Here are the affected areas". The Citizen. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  6. ^ "Engineering News - Johannesburg Water well prepared for Rand Water's maintenance". Engineering News. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  7. ^ Banda, Michelle (2024-06-28). "Dry taps, insufficient water tankers and confusion as Rand Water's maintenance project hits Day 5". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  8. ^ https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-06-25-parts-of-joburg-will-stay-dry-as-rand-water-continues-five-week-upgrades/ accessed, 26 June 2024
  9. ^ "Johannesburg Water". City of Joburg website. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  10. ^ Bega, Sheree (2024-06-20). "Johannesburg Water: Maintenance project 'not a crisis' for city's supply". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  11. ^ Phenyo, Selinda (2024-06-19). "Extensive Rand Water Infrastructure Maintenance to Commence this Saturday | Central News South Africa". centralnews.co.za. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  12. ^ Majadibodu, Simon (24 June 2024). "Rand Water Maintenance: Over 20 Joburg areas to experience water supply disruptions". IOL. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  13. ^ Bega, Sheree (2024-06-20). "Johannesburg Water: Maintenance project 'not a crisis' for city's supply". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  14. ^ "Engineering News - Johannesburg Water well prepared for Rand Water's maintenance".
  15. ^ https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2024-03-13-joburgs-dry-taps-valve-found-in-closed-position/
  16. ^ Koko, Khaya (2024-07-05). "Joburg Water accused of nepotism". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  17. ^ Team, S. W. M. (2024-03-27). "Water crisis grips Johannesburg: residents face unprecedented shortages". Smart Water Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-28.
  18. ^ "Water crisis grips Johannesburg: Residents face unprecedented shortages". 27 March 2024.
  19. ^ "City of Joburg loses nearly half its water, costing billions". 26 April 2023.
  20. ^ https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/768668/joburg-water-grid-collapse-claims-a-serious-exaggeration-former-dg/
  21. ^ "Water and Sanitation releases 2023 full Blue Drop Report | South African Government".
  22. ^ "Joburg water crisis deepens as officials scramble for answers". 13 March 2024.
  23. ^ Mnisi, Nhlanhla. "Water Scarcity In South Africa: A Result Of Physical Or Economic Factors?". Helen Suzman Foundation. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  24. ^ Muller et al. (2009), URL: https://www.dbsa.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2021-03/DPD%20No12.%20Water%20security%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf
  25. ^ Nondywana, Thando (2024-06-24). "'Catastrophic' water insecurity looms for Johannesburg, warns WaterCAN". The Citizen. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  26. ^ "Controlling Corruption to Improve Water Security: Lessons from the South African Water Sector". Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  27. ^ "ABOUT US". www.dws.gov.za/. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 27 June 2024.
  28. ^ Gagné-Acoulon, Sandrine. "Report: Corruption fuels Water Shortage in South Africa". www.occrp.org. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  29. ^ https://www.corruptionwatch.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/water-report_2020-single-pages-Final.pdf
  30. ^ Constitution of 1996, Chapter 2, Section 27
  31. ^ Couzens, E (2015-06-12). "Avoiding Mazibuko: Water Security and Constitutional Rights in Southern African Case Law". Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal. 18 (4): 1161–1186. doi:10.4314/pelj.v18i4.12. ISSN 1727-3781.
  32. ^ Mtabane, Busi (2022-12-14). "Water Scarcity in South Africa - Who Wins and Who Loses?". Amandla. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  33. ^ https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/dwafwaterallocation0.pdf
  34. ^ "Anja du Plessis | Joburg's water crisis: How mismanagement, poor water governance led to this point".
  35. ^ "Why Johannesburg's taps keep running dry — an expert explains". March 2024.
  36. ^ "Water Crisis In South Africa". Greenpeace Africa. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  37. ^ Couzens, E (2015-06-12). "Avoiding Mazibuko: Water Security and Constitutional Rights in Southern African Case Law". Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal. 18 (4): 1161–1186. doi:10.4314/pelj.v18i4.12. ISSN 1727-3781.
  38. ^ Mtabane, Busi (2022-12-14). "Water Scarcity in South Africa - Who Wins and Who Loses?". Amandla. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  39. ^ Bartlett, Kate (1 April 2024). "Johannesburg's water crisis is the latest blow to South Africa's 'world-class city'". NPR Morning Edition. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  40. ^ "Presidential Climate Commission". www.climatecommission.org.za. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  41. ^ "Johannesburg's Water Crisis: Causes, Effects, and Solutions". Gauteng News. March 12, 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  42. ^ "Rand Water's failures leave tens of thousands of taps dry – it's time to act!". Democratic Alliance - Gauteng. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
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