Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
02 February 2026

Experts warn Johannesburg’s water outages could worsen in 2026 without urgent action. 📷

Johannesburg’s water crisis is showing no signs of easing, with experts warning that without urgent intervention, the city could be headed toward a permanent supply emergency.

The warning comes after 22 major outages were recorded in just two weeks, alongside repeated pipe bursts and prolonged disruptions in areas such as Kensington, Bez Valley, the CBD and Selby where residents have reportedly endured months without consistent water supply.

Water expert Dr Anthony Turton said the scale of disruptions confirms that the problem is no longer temporary strain, but a breakdown rooted in governance failures. He argued that key reforms must begin with stopping the politicisation of the sector.

“Water should not be a political football. It’s a fundamental human right,” Turton said, adding that it is also “the foundation of the national economy.”

Turton identified three urgent priorities to stabilise the system: ending the use of water infrastructure as a patronage tool, depoliticising decision-making, and restoring public trust through transparency.

“The trust deficit is corrosive, it’s like a cancer in the system,” he said. He also raised alarm over what he described as “water tanker mafias” that thrive when systems fail, warning that once such structures take root, they become “exceptionally difficult to get out of the system.”

Civil society water advocate Dr Ferrial Adam said residents should brace for continued instability throughout 2026. “We are going to see a lot more intermittent supplies and breakdowns,” she said, noting that election-year politics could fuel further protests rather than solutions.

Adam said civil society organisations, including WaterCAN and the Joburg Crisis Alliance, are intensifying pressure for the ring-fencing of water budgets, with hopes that key processes could be finalised by mid-year. “We take three steps forward and two steps back, but we are moving… in a good direction,” she said.

She also highlighted the ongoing crisis in Selby, saying it was shocking that residents have relied on tankers for so long. “That’s because Joburg Water has not had money to fix a pump,” she said.

DA councillor Tyrell Meyers warned that the city’s medium-term water security remains at risk. “If things don’t change, we are going to be heading for a permanent supply crisis,” he said.

Meyers stressed that improved funding retention and stronger coordination between Johannesburg Water and Rand Water are essential, citing a recent power failure at Palm Ridge that left parts of Midrand and multiple reservoirs without supply.

It is agreed that without sustained oversight, proper resourcing and credible leadership, Johannesburg’s water crisis will continue to deepen.