Joburg’s hidden R25 billion disaster

Johannesburg needs R25 billion to fix its water infrastructure and potentially billions more to replace outdated equipment to meet increasing demand as its population grows.

South Africa’s economic hub has been hit with prolonged outages over the past month due to Rand Water conducting substantial maintenance on parts of the water network. 

This maintenance plan is a long time coming, with Joburg experiencing significant population growth over the past decade and its infrastructure unable to cope with increased demand for basic services. 

The city has more than enough water. The issue is getting the water to the end user as the infrastructure deteriorates. 

It is estimated that between 45% and 50% of all water in Gauteng pumped from the bulk water supplier, Rand Water, does not reach an end user due to leakages. 

Water scientist Dr Anthony Turton said the water supply is being mismanaged in Gauteng, resulting in water shortages in parts of the provinces while dams are sufficiently full. 

“If we manage our water wisely, we have enough to grow our economy and population. The problem is that we are not managing it wisely. It is not a water scarcity issue. It is an institutional failure issue.” 

This is not only a national institutional failure but also a severe local issue, with municipalities failing to maintain and upgrade their water infrastructure. 

Local municipalities have shown they cannot correct problems despite multiple warnings and signs of failure. 

“We can say that places like Johannesburg Water are a perfect example of state failure at a local level,” Turton said. 

CEO of the South African Chamber, Benoit Le Roy, agreed with Turton that the problem is inadequate maintenance and investment from the water distributors and municipalities. 

“We need to fix the leaking buckets. It will cost about R25 billion to fix Johannesburg’s water infrastructure, and you cannot do it overnight,” Le Roy said. 

He estimated that if work began now to upgrade and develop Johannesburg’s water infrastructure, it would take a year to 18 months for residents to feel the effect. 

“We need to move. That is the big thing. We are talking a lot and raising awareness, but we are not moving.”

This issue is not limited to South Africa’s economic hub, although the effects of water shortages in Gauteng will have severe consequences. 

Turton said that water shortages in Gauteng threaten the country’s economy and risk resulting in social unrest. 

“Water shortages are part of a new trend where we can see that our infrastructure is not in healthy shape at all, and politicians are only waking up now.”

“In the case of Gauteng, it is a very specific issue because three major metros contain a significant portion of our national manufacturing capacity. They are all at risk from water supply disruptions.”

This will result in the province reaching a ‘threshold of concern’ which, once crossed, will put the system at serious risk of collapse, which is unprecedented. 

“Of course, when water supply is disrupted, businesses cannot operate. It means that there will also be an impact on the workforce,” he said. 

“You must appreciate that water is the foundation of your national economy. It is the foundation of social stability.”

“Once your water infrastructure starts collapsing, you start to see things like social instability, the flight of capital out of the country, businesses collapsing, and the loss of jobs.” 

“This is a national crisis. It is an existential threat to the very viability of our national economy,” Turton said. 

He estimated it would cost South Africa, as a whole, over R1 trillion to fix its water infrastructure issues.