<\/p>\n
Johannesburg has lost R10.3 billion worth of drinking water in four years, placing the metro\u2019s finances and residents at risk.<\/p>\n
This was revealed in the Auditor-General\u2019s Consolidated General Report on Local Government Audit Outcomes for 2024\/25, published on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Auditor-General (AG) raised concerns about infrastructure maintenance, distribution losses, and the reliability of performance reporting.<\/p>\n
Read:
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The AG noted Johannesburg Water\u2019s \u201cfailure to proactively maintain its water infrastructure\u201d. Maintenance is often deferred until assets fail, resulting in a culture of reactive, emergency repairs rather than prevention. The AG said this has led to frequent pipe bursts and a deterioration of network reliability.<\/p>\n
The AG blamed inadequate planning, poor execution of maintenance plans, and insufficient oversight by leadership.<\/p>\n
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Read: SA\u2019s water crisis is a management, not just infrastructure, problem<\/p>\n
This has translated into the City consistently missing its water management targets. The metro\u2019s water losses have remained above the 30% norm for the past four years, with recent levels consistently reaching over 45%.<\/p>\n
The AG said these losses are driven by ageing infrastructure and a high number of leakages caused by a lack of maintenance.<\/p>\n
Due to the severe financial and service delivery consequences of neglected infrastructure, the AG notified the accounting officer of a material irregularity in December 2024.<\/p>\n
The AG said that Johannesburg Water\u2019s performance reporting is weak. It hindered oversight and made it difficult to verify service delivery achievements.<\/p>\n
Read:
Why Joburg\u2019s new plan to manage water crisis isn\u2019t the answer
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Johannesburg Water was contacted for comment, but no response was received by the time of publication. The utility previously said it is implementing a 10-year, R64 billion strategy focused on leak detection, pressure management, pipeline upgrades, reservoir repairs and reducing illegal connections.<\/p>\n
WaterCAN head Dr Ferrial Adam said: \u201cThis cannot continue, where we lose so much water and nobody is held accountable \u2026 With that money. We could have fixed our water system by now.\u201d<\/p>\n
She criticised efforts to focus enforcement on informal settlements, arguing that authorities should instead prioritise recovering revenue from major consumers and large debtors.<\/p>\n
Read: Explosion at water treatment plant throttles Joburg supply<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 GroundUp. This article was first published here.<\/p>\n
#Joburg #losing #R10bn #year #water #leaks #crumbling #infrastructure<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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