33% Water Loss: Johannesburg Losing Third of Supply Through Leaks and Illegal Connections

JOHANNESBURG, 20 Sept 2025 – Joburg is losing a catastrophic 33% of its entire treated water supply every day through a crumbling network of pipes and illegal connections, a crisis of mismanagement and decay that sees 510 million liters of precious water vanish daily while reservoirs run dry and communities endure weeks without supply.

The staggering loss rate—more than double international benchmarks—was revealed in a parliamentary hearing this week, painting a picture of a metro in a full-blown water emergency driven by a R27 billion infrastructure backlog and insufficient maintenance.

READ: Johannesburg Water's 32.5 Billion Rand Rescue Plan

The Anatomy of a Crisis: Where the Water Goes

The losses are categorized into two devastating streams:

• Physical Losses (32.9%): Water that literally pours out of burst pipes and leaking reservoirs due to infrastructure that is decades past its replacement date.
• Commercial Losses: Water that is consumed but never paid for due to illegal connections, meter tampering, and unbilled usage, particularly in informal settlements.

"This means that about a third of the water that they obtain from Rand Water is lost through leaks in the distribution system," the Department of Water and Sanitation's Director-General told parliamentarians.

Human Impact: Weeks Without Water

The technical failure has a human face. Communities like Westbury, Coronationville, and those fed by the Commando system have suffered extended, complete water outages, prompting mayoral promises of restoration within seven days.

The system is so fragile that any disruption—like cable theft or pump failure—causes a cascade of failures. "It takes a very long time for the water levels in the reservoirs to recover," explained an official, leaving entire neighborhoods vulnerable.

READ: Joburg Water Crisis: R27 Billion Backlog Revealed as Cause

A Race Against Time with the Wrong Tools

The city is losing the battle against decay. While Johannesburg Water aims to replace 85 kilometers of pipe this year (up from 25km last year), officials admit the required rate to merely maintain the system is 186 kilometers per year.

At the current pace, the system is deteriorating faster than it can be repaired. A shocking 20% of all water assets have a remaining useful life of less than 10 years.

Corruption and the "Water Tanker Mafia"

MPs at the hearing raised the alarming prospect of sabotage, suggesting actors with a financial interest in the crisis may be profiting from it.

"Who benefits when there's a water crisis? Just look at who benefits the most - it's the water tankers," warned one committee member, suggesting that contractors benefiting from tanker supply contracts could have an incentive to disrupt repair efforts.

In response, the city has procured 20 municipal water tankers to reduce reliance on private contractors, with plans to acquire 20 more.

A Looming Summer Disaster

The crisis is expected to worsen dramatically with the arrival of summer, when higher temperatures typically drive water consumption up by 10-15%.

"With summer coming, we are going to see high consumption and therefore we have to implement certain levels including level one restrictions," Mayor Dada Moreroacknowledged. The restrictions have been in place for a decade but enforcement remains inconsistent.

The Path Forward

The approved R32.5 billion turnaround plan is the city's proposed solution, with 33% of funds earmarked for pipe and sewer network renewal.

However, the plan requires sustained investment and political will that has been absent for decades. The question remains whether the city can implement repairs faster than the infrastructure continues to fail, a race against time for the millions of residents who depend on it.

Additional Pressures: Illegal Connections

Beyond infrastructure failures, Joburg Water highlighted the impact of illegal connections, particularly near critical infrastructure and informal settlements, which drain reservoirs and leave legitimate users with no water.

The success of the ambitious plan now hinges on securing consistent funding and overcoming the implementation challenges that have plagued the city for years, as millions of residents wait for a reliable water supply.