The MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (MMC: EISD) Cllr Michael Sun has expressed serious concern over the ongoing water disruptions that the residents of Johannesburg Deep South (Region G) are experiencing, which are caused by factors such as metre tampering and illegal connections.
Johannesburg Water, with the support of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, SAPS and security service providers, carried out phase one of its project to remove illegal water connections. The project is set to continue to other areas in the region.
The project to remove illegal water connections will see four Informal Settlements in Region G get illegal connections removed and infrastructure repaired. Clamping down on these illegal connections will save the City an estimated R6.3million per annum.
“Water supply to our rate-paying residents is hampered by illegal connections on Johannesburg Water’s distribution network. These not only result in theft of water but in damage to the infrastructure, which costs the City tens of millions of rands to fix,” said MMC Sun.
Several informal settlements have been established in region G and near the City’s water distribution system. The residents from the informal settlements have damaged and illegally connected to the system to extract water. This theft of water puts a strain on the water supply designated for the metered residents. As a result, Johannesburg Water is forced to reduce water supply to carry out disconnections and repairs each time this occurs, which is becoming frequent.
Illegal connections cause more damage to infrastructure than just non-revenue loss. It often leads to leaks and bursts on the infrastructure. The useful lifespan of the infrastructure is also decreased considerably, meaning it will need to be replaced sooner than anticipated.
While we know it is wrong to steal water and understand our duty to ensure service delivery, the City also understands that the residents of the informal settlements have a basic right to water. This is why Johannesburg Water provides 121, 217 kilolitres of free water per month to informal settlements by making 1,450 water tanks available in the informal settlements across the City.
Furthermore, Johannesburg Water is rolling out basic water services to various informal settlements, and for the first six months of the current financial year, it has provided 2, 125 households with basic water supply. Johannesburg Water has completed these projects at Matholesville School (372 households); Tshepisong phase 1 (706 households); Rugby Club phase 1 to 4 (489 households); Tladi (152 households); and Drieziek Ext 5 Taxi Rank (406 households).
“As the City, we have a duty to provide residents with basic services, such as water & sanitation, as it is a constitutional right of every citizen. However, theft and illegal connections of water is a violation of the very rights of fellow residents, most of whom are paying for services.
The City loses hundreds of millions of rands in revenue due to these losses, which is money that could be used to further improve the quality of life and services for the City’s residents. We call upon all residents to stop stealing water and electricity and tampering with the City’s service infrastructure. If the residents see any such unlawful conduct, please report it to Johannesburg Water on (011) 688-1699 immediately,” said MMC Sun.
Ends
Issued by:
Cllr Michael Sun
MMC Environment and Infrastructure Services
City of Joburg
22/03/2022
