{"id":101251,"date":"2025-10-09T20:11:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T18:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/?p=101251"},"modified":"2025-10-09T20:12:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T18:12:55","slug":"groundwater-project-brings-hope-to-johannesburgs-informal-settlements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/groundwater-project-brings-hope-to-johannesburgs-informal-settlements\/","title":{"rendered":"Groundwater Project Brings Hope to Johannesburg\u2019s Informal Settlements"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za<\/a>
\n3-minute read | 09 October 2025 | 14:30 CAT<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Image: Thahasello Mphatsoe\/News24<\/p><\/div>\n

A pioneering groundwater initiative in Johannesburg is offering new hope to residents of informal settlements long plagued by unreliable access to clean water. Led by WITS University\u2019s Dr Khuliso Masindi in partnership with Johannesburg Water and WITS Enterprise, the pilot project taps into underground water sources to improve supply for water-stressed communities across Gauteng.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Radio Islam International<\/em><\/a>, Dr Masindi explained that the project aims to prove that groundwater can play a major role in improving water security for Johannesburg\u2019s most underserved areas. \u201cMany residents depend on illegal water connections, which put huge pressure on nearby reservoirs and cause frequent supply interruptions,\u201d he said. \u201cThis pilot gives us a chance to provide safe, legal, and sustainable access to water while collecting scientific data to guide future planning.\u201d<\/p>\n

The collaboration between Johannesburg Water and WITS Enterprise, he said, bridges the gap between service delivery and science. \u201cJohannesburg Water brings the operational strength, while WITS provides the technical excellence, from hydrogeological studies and water quality testing to designing treatment systems and training postgraduate students,\u201d Masindi noted. \u201cEvery borehole and design decision is based on evidence, sustainability, and best practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Describing the project as a \u201chistoric step\u201d for the city, Masindi highlighted that it marks the first time groundwater is formally integrated into Johannesburg\u2019s supply strategy, particularly for unplanned settlements excluded from bulk infrastructure. \u201cIt helps reduce pressure on overloaded reservoirs and offers a safe alternative for residents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Beyond the technical innovation, Masindi emphasised that the project is equally a social equity initiative. \u201cIt\u2019s about ensuring every community has access to a reliable and dignified water supply, shifting from crisis response to long-term resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the pilot phase proves successful, the model is expected to expand to other parts of Johannesburg and eventually across South Africa. \u201cThe long-term vision is to establish a city-wide live lab network of monitoring wells to provide real-time data, forming part of the city\u2019s groundwater master plan,\u201d Masindi explained.<\/p>\n

He added that the initiative\u2019s primary goal is to make Johannesburg more water-secure by integrating groundwater with surface water systems, building resilience against drought, infrastructure failures, and population growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not just about drilling boreholes,\u201d he concluded. \u201cIt\u2019s about building a sustainable model of groundwater resilience, one that brings water, and hope, to the communities that need it most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Listen<\/strong> to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up<\/em><\/a> with Annisa Essack and Dr Khuliso Masindi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 3-minute read | 09 October 2025 | 14:30 CAT A pioneering groundwater initiative in Johannesburg is offering new hope to residents of informal settlements long plagued by unreliable access to clean water. Led by WITS University\u2019s Dr Khuliso Masindi in partnership with Johannesburg Water and WITS Enterprise, the pilot project taps […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":101252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[28,4995],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-south-africa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Borehole-Project-1.jpg?fit=1080%2C608&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0QIf-ql5","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-24 08:32:19","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/radioislam.org.za\/a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}