Johannesburg Water's 32.5 Billion Rand Rescue Plan

JOHANNESBURG, 20 Sept 2025 – In a high-stakes parliamentary hearing, Johannesburg Water managing director Ntshavheni Mukwevho unveiled a R32.5 billion, 10-year masterplan to rescue the city from its devastating water crisis, while officials admitted that decades of neglect have created a R27 billion infrastructure renewal backlog.

The presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation on Friday came amid widespread water outages and growing resident anger, forcing Mayor Dada Morero to account for the city's failures.

The Scale of the Crisis: "Throwing Away" a Third of Water

The Department of Water and Sanitation delivered a stunning indictment of the city's management, revealing that 33% of all water supplied to Johannesburg is lost through leaks and failing infrastructure.

“This means the municipality is literally throwing away a third of the water they obtain from Rand Water,” the department stated, emphasizing that Rand Water supplies sufficient water to the province, but municipalities fail to distribute it efficiently.

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

The crisis is compounded by soaring demand. Joburg Water reported current consumption at 1,726 megalitres per day, far exceeding the sustainable allocation of 1,550 megalitres per day from Rand Water.

Decades of Neglect: 44 Leaking Reservoirs and Aged Pipes

Officials acknowledged that the root cause lies in historical underinvestment. The department noted that "Gauteng municipalities have been neglecting investment in their distribution infrastructure for decades," with specifically 44 reservoirs in Johannesburg identified as old, leaking, and requiring urgent refurbishment.

"The systems have not been adequately upgraded to cater for the increased demand," the department added, highlighting the critical need for pressure management programs and replacement of aging pipes.

The R32.5 Billion Solution: Where the Money Will Go

The 10-year turnaround plan represents the most comprehensive response to date:

• 30% (R9.8bn) for Treatment Works: Major upgrades to water treatment plants.
• 33% (R10.7bn) for Network Infrastructure: Renewal of water and sewer pipes.
• R4 billion for Water Demand Management: Fixing leaks, retrofitting fixtures, and installing smart meters.
• Remainder for Storage & Pumping: Construction of new reservoirs and towers to increase capacity.

The plan is front-loaded, with 64% of the spending targeted for the first four years.

Immediate Projects and Funding Reality

For the current financial year (2024/25), the capital budget has increased to R1.7 billion from R1.29 billion. Key immediate projects include:

• R180m for water demand management and meter retrofits.
• R228m to complete the Brixton Reservoir (26ML) and Erand Tower (2ML).
• R350m to begin refurbishing 17 reservoir complexes (22 reservoirs), with contractors already appointed for Meadowlands and HH2.

However, a significant gap remains. To truly address the backlog and expansion needs, Joburg Water requires R3.25 billion annually for ten years—nearly double the current budget allocation.