Gauteng’s water woes have been making headlines, and the Democratic Alliance (DA) is pointing fingers at Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government for being lax in addressing the issue. The DA leader, John Steenhuisen, believes that the national government can’t solve the problem alone and that municipalities need to step up and invest in upgrading their infrastructure ¹.
The root of the problem lies in increased water consumption and persistent leaks, which have left some municipalities struggling to meet the water demand. To make matters worse, about 49.2% of Gauteng’s treated water is lost due to leaks and illegal connections ¹.
The DA has outlined a plan to enhance water security, emphasizing the need for municipalities to play their part. Steenhuisen suggests that other provinces should look to the Western Cape government as a model for better water management ¹.
In response to the crisis, the City of Johannesburg has started implementing measures to reduce water losses, including the throttling of water supply between 21:00 and 04:00 to allow reservoir levels to recover overnight. They’ve also started cutting off illegal connections and accelerating leak detection, which has resulted in an estimated water demand reduction of 9 457-million liters a year ¹.
While these efforts are a step in the right direction, experts warn that a more comprehensive approach is needed to address the systemic failures and ensure sustainable service delivery. This includes reducing water losses, strengthening law enforcement to protect infrastructure and resources, and implementing a high-level communication strategy to narrow the trust gap between government and citizens ¹.
