Residents of Parktown West in Johannesburg have been experiencing severe water outages, with some areas going without reliable water for up to 12 weeks. The crisis has raised questions about municipal service delivery, infrastructure maintenance, and political accountability ahead of the elections. William Gaul, an 82-year-old resident, described the situation as an "absolute nightmare," with his garden, which he spent thousands of rands on, slowly dying due to the lack of water.
The water outages in Parktown West are attributed to failures in the infrastructure supplying the suburb, particularly the fragile Commando system. The leaking Hursthill 2 reservoir has been bypassed for repairs, weakening network pressure. Repairs scheduled for completion in April 2026 have been delayed due to problems linked to contractor payments, pushing the expected completion into 2027. Community-recorded data shows that residents had reliable water at good pressure for just 29 days, or 9% of the period, between 12 December 2025 and 26 October 2026.
Residents have been forced to ration supplies and rely on neighbours with boreholes. Cheryl Stevens, a resident, had to lug about 20 five-litre bottles to Greenside to fill them from a resident's borehole. She later installed a 5 000 litre tank, but said that having a water tank does not guarantee water if the supply does not come in. The lack of communication from the municipality has made the situation even more disheartening, with residents expressing frustration and feeling neglected.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala attributed the water outages to ageing infrastructure, insufficient bulk infrastructure, and capacity pressures linked to population growth. She described the Commando system as constrained, with supply ranging from fairly adequate to critically low, acknowledging that some areas are experiencing poor pressure or no water. The entity is managing reservoir levels, implementing restrictions where necessary, strengthening pressure management, and prioritising repairs to leaks and burst pipes.
Residents are coordinating protests over prolonged outages and inadequate communication. A protest was held in Brixton on Saturday, with further action planned in Melville on Wednesday and Parktown West on Friday. Their demands include a published recovery plan, weekly updates on reservoir levels and maintenance, dependable tanker support, advance notice of planned shutdowns, and action on the bulk infrastructure supplying Johannesburg.
Residents are questioning whether infrastructure has kept pace with development, with some arguing that the municipality has not adequately planned for the increasing population. Barry Metcalfe, a resident, said that the municipality seems to wear "blinkers" when it comes to densification and development, without considering the impact on utilities. The water outages have become a major concern ahead of the elections, with residents wondering whether voting will make a difference.
The water crisis in Parktown West has highlighted the need for a reliable public service and better communication from the municipality. Residents are calling for a plan to address the water outages and ensure that they have access to this basic service. As the elections approach, the issue is likely to remain a major concern for residents and a test of the municipality's ability to deliver on its promises.
Key points
- Residents of Parktown West face up to 12 weeks without reliable water.
- The water outages are attributed to failures in the infrastructure supplying the suburb.
- Residents are coordinating protests over prolonged outages and inadequate communication.
