New water framework puts pressure on municipalities to cut losses

Gauteng could save billions of rands and improve water supply by reducing water losses, with a new national framework targeting a reduction in non-revenue water to below 25% by 2035.

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Dr Jack Bloom said Gauteng currently loses or fails to account for about 48% of its water, highlighting the need to address leaking infrastructure, inaccurate billing and water theft.

Speaking at a workshop on the Strategic Framework for Water and Sanitation Services in Boksburg on Tuesday, Bloom said an estimated 431 billion litres of water were lost annually through burst and leaking pipes.

“At Rand Water rates, this is about R7b a year and at municipal rates, it is probably more than double this figure, so at least R14b is revenue lost to municipalities,” he said.

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Bloom said the losses were particularly concerning because many residents continued to experience unreliable water supplies. Some communities rely on water tankers, while others face interruptions even as water flows from broken pipes in their streets.

Water losses vary across Gauteng municipalities. Johannesburg records non-revenue water (NRW) of about 49%, including physical losses of 26%. Tshwane records NRW of 45%, with physical losses accounting for 34%, while Ekurhuleni records NRW of about 30%, including physical losses of 22%.

“The worst non-revenue water is at Emfuleni (over 70%) and Mogale, which is over 60%,” Bloom said.

The new Strategic Framework updates the previous framework, adopted in 2003, which focused primarily on expanding access to basic water and sanitation services following the inequalities of apartheid.

Bloom said the 2026 framework recognises that access to a tap does not amount to meaningful access if the water is unreliable or unsafe. Similarly, poorly maintained and serviced sanitation facilities undermine human dignity.

The framework places climate risk assessments and adaptation at the centre of water services planning. It also promotes smart meters, digital asset registers and transparent reporting.

Municipalities will be required to plan for the needs of informal settlements, peri-urban communities and people living on private land.

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Bloom said the framework calls for legislation to establish an independent economic regulator for water services by 2029, separating regulation from the department’s other responsibilities.

He added that government grants should fund repairs and infrastructure renewal rather than focus only on new projects that could fall into disrepair without proper maintenance.

The framework also calls for water revenue to be ring-fenced and lifecycle costing to become compulsory.

Key targets for 2035

The framework sets several targets for improving water and sanitation services, including:

• Reducing national non-revenue water to below 25%.
• Ensuring 80% of urban households have smart meters by 2032.
• Requiring water services authorities to renew at least 10% of high-risk ageing assets annually, with at least 30% of end-of-life pipelines, pumps and process units replaced by 2035.
• Increasing investment in water services infrastructure to at least 0.75% of gross domestic product.
• Ensuring all schools and clinics have adequate and safe water and sanitation services.
• Implementing the free basic water and sanitation policy across all water services authorities.
• Achieving 100% compliance with SANS 241 drinking-water standards.
  Bloom said Gauteng would need to roughly halve its current water losses to meet the national target, adding that municipalities could not afford to delay interventions until 2035.

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“Every leak fixed and every meter read correctly brings water to people who don’t currently have it,” he said.

Bloom said the framework and workshops being held across the country were intended to help bridge the gap between policy commitments and the delivery of reliable water and sanitation services.