Nearly a third of all water is lost in Ekurhuleni aging Infrastructure

by Cllr Simon Lapping — DA Spokesperson for Water, Energy and Sanitation

Date: 10 November 2023

Release: Immediate

Type: Media statement

The City of Ekurhuleni has admitted that 30.48% of all water was lost, over the past 12 months, due to its aging infrastructure and the lack of maintenance — this was revealed in a reply to a question by the Democratic Alliance.

The CoE has conceded that it is, experiencing extensive water and sewer infrastructure failures and capacity constraints due to “aging infrastructure, inherent design faults and unmatched growth in service demand.”

It is clear, that the CoE, under the failing EFF and ANC coalition, are not maintaining nor operating an efficient water network when nearly a third of all water is simply lost. While there will always be water losses, the CoE has an obligation to ensure losses are kept to a minimum as it is the already overstretched, residents and businesses of Ekurhuleni who are expected to cover the loss of water.

To make matters worse, the estimated cost of upgrading and repairing the 10,665km water network and 9,700km sewerage network is an eyewatering R21,477 billion while the current budget has an allocation of R6,069 Billion or 28% of what is actually needed.

It is unacceptable, given that we are a water-scarce country, that millions of litres of water are literally flushed down the drain. It is time that the EFF/ANC coalition prioritises essential services over that of vanity projects.

Cllr Simon Lapping

DA Spokesperson for Water, Energy and Sanitation

078 350 5063