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Water Crisis In Johannesburg Threatens Agriculture Sector
Water crisis in Johannesburg threatens agriculture sector
By Sinenhlanhla Mncwango | 18 October 2024 | 5:00 pm
The agriculture sector in Gauteng faces a potential crisis as water shortages grip the province, worsened by significant leaks in Johannesburg’s water infrastructure. Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, MEC of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has highlighted the serious consequences for farmers relying on municipal water.
“The current shortage of water poses a threat to the sector. Farmers need water for their crops as well as for their livestock to survive,” she said to Farmer’s Weekly.
The MEC said that without a consistent and reliable supply of water, farmers faced the possibility of their crops not surviving, which would ultimately lead to them not being able to achieve the harvest yields they had hoped for.
“This in turn will of course also affect their ability to supply their clients, which will have an impact on their overheads. The farms that seem to be highly impacted are those that are making use of municipal water and are affected by the overall shortages faced by the province due to infrastructure maintenance,” she said.
According to a statement by Joburg Water, the utility has experienced leaks in 42 out of its 87 reservoirs, with plans underway to repair only 20 of them. These leaks, detailed in Joburg Water’s recent turnaround strategy, contribute significantly to the city’s alarming 46,1% non-revenue water rate – water that is lost due to leaks, theft, or faulty billing systems.
A statement from the WaterCAN organisation indicated that there was no information from Joburg Water about how long it had known about the leaks in the reservoirs, their severity, or how much water had been lost.
The city’s capital expenditure budget for 2024/25 includes mention of work on 17 reservoirs and towers worth about R290 million.
Dr Ferrial Adam, executive manager of WaterCAN, expressed her disappointment that Joburg Water had no immediate plans to repair more than half of the city’s leaking water reservoirs.
“The city’s residents are deeply concerned, and anxiety is mounting over a potential Day Zero. Beyond just outlining the challenges, Joburg Water needs to provide detailed information on what needs repairing, the level or urgency of each repair, and the timeline and costs for repairs, especially since the city claims it lacks funds for water infrastructure,” Adam said.
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