River Park residents have been grappling with mounting water shortages, with some households left dry due to illegal connections stemming from the informally occupied flats in the area.
According to Ward 81 councillor Joanne Horwitz, the crisis is being exacerbated by informal access to municipal water infrastructure.

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“I have gotten water tankers in, but that is clearly not enough. That’s just a temporary arrangement,” Horwitz said. “I need to ask for more water tankers because I’m now being told they’re emptying.”

Horwitz acknowledged that while emergency measures like water tankers offer short-term relief, they do not address the root of the problem. She stressed the need for proper infrastructure, even if it means installing temporary prepaid water meters.

The councillor drew parallels to River Park’s electricity crisis, which was previously resolved through an interim plan despite the residents’ illegal occupation of the flats. The area had been flagged for unlawful connections to the grid, prompting City Power to cut supply. However, the utility, through collaboration with the councillor and the community’s interim committee, managed to find a solution for the electricity crisis.

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That plan involved installing a dedicated mini substation and multiple pillar boxes per block, each equipped with three-phase prepaid meters and protection systems. The utility said this would allow for sub-metering and enable residents to manage their electricity usage, even without a formal proclamation of the settlement.

Although she is eyeing a similar solution for the water woes, Horwitz acknowledged challenges associated with the informal occupation of the flats. “Once you’re illegally occupying an area, you get nothing from the city because they can’t be seen to be saying that’s okay,” Horwitz explained.

Despite these constraints, Horwitz believes a similar approach could be applied to the water crisis. “I’m hoping to go around it in the same way I did for electricity. I know water meters are a bit different, but they don’t cost that much and can be removed. So, they can be put in temporarily.”

She emphasised that while some residents benefit from illegal water connections, the broader community is suffering. “It is the whole of River Park, not just one or two houses. They are right at the top of the hill, so they get the water, but residents on Thomas Molepo and other streets are the ones suffering,” she said. “So, we have to do something.”

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