Several suburbs in Johannesburg to have 8-hour water outages

Several Johannesburg suburbs will face water outages next week due to critical maintenance work by Johannesburg Water. The interruptions aim to improve service delivery and water supply continuity, but many residents have expressed frustration as water issues have become more common in the city.

Fairland water outage on 22 October

Fairland residents will experience an eight-hour water interruption on 22 October, from 8:00 to 16:00. The outage is necessary to connect a new 110mm uPVC pipe to an existing 90mm HDPE pipeline. This work is part of Johannesburg Water’s efforts to upgrade its infrastructure. According to officials, the upgrade will benefit customers by providing more reliable water services in the future.

Vorna Valley and Halfway House set for outages on 24 October

On 24 October, residents in several suburbs, including Vorna Valley Extensions 13-106, Halfway Gardens Extensions 1-119, and Halfway House Estate, will also face water outages from 8:00 to 16:00. Streets affected include Smuts Drive, Janadel Avenue, and surrounding areas. To mitigate the impact, Johannesburg Water has arranged alternative water supply points at key locations, including Halfway House Primary and Berger Road.

The upgrades are part of ongoing maintenance and service delivery efforts.

Growing concerns over Johannesburg Water management

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised concerns about Johannesburg Water’s management and the increasing water interruptions across the city. The party criticised the entity for what it sees as poor governance and lack of accountability.

“Joburg water sits with a volume of 46% non-revenue water losses – that is, water lost before it reaches the customer and before it can be billed,” said the DA.

This, coupled with a lack of urgent repairs, has frustrated many residents.

The DA has called for the dissolution of the Johannesburg Water board, citing incompetent appointments and poor policies. They demand a full audit of the board and the appointment of qualified individuals to lead the entity.

Are these water outages a necessary inconvenience for future improvements, or a sign of deeper issues with Johannesburg’s water management?

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