WATER OUTAGE: City accused of misleading communication

Residents of Bonaero Park in Kempton Park have raised serious concerns following a prolonged water outage that has left some households without supply for up to four days, with little clarity on the cause of the interruption.

According to residents, initial communication from the City of Ekurhuleni and ward representatives indicated that the outage was due to planned maintenance.

However, subsequent updates suggested that water was being restored in phases, with pressure gradually increased and residents urged to use water sparingly to avoid destabilising the system.

Residents argue that these measures point to controlled supply restrictions rather than routine maintenance.

In a formal letter addressed to the City Manager and sent to the Kempton Express, Bonaero Park resident Kagiso Manzana said the interruption appeared to be the result of zone isolation and pressure throttling in response to critically low system storage levels, rather than infrastructure repairs.

Also read: Water supply recovery underway in Kempton Park

“This distinction is important, as the nature of the interruption has legal and constitutional implications,” Manzana said.

Residents further claim that information circulated by Rand Water and metropolitan briefings showed that overall water production remained largely stable during the period, while service reservoir storage declined sharply.

This, they allege, indicates that consumption exceeded the system’s ability to recover storage, resulting in downstream and high-lying areas such as Bonaero Park being affected.

Concerns have also been raised about the lack of reliable alternative water provision during the outage.

Manzana noted that under Section 27 of the Constitution and the Water Services Act, residents are entitled to access sufficient water, defined as at least 25 litres per person per day, even during service interruptions.

“Prolonged zero supply without emergency alternatives, such as water tankers, places the municipality outside compliance,” he said.

Also read: Residents warned to prepare for December water supply cuts

Other residents echoed these frustrations.

Carla Koning said residents had been without water for four days and felt they had been misled about the cause of the outage.

“We have consistently been lied to as to the cause of the lack of water. Residents are awaiting proper feedback,” she said.

Sharita Ambaram, from the neighbouring Pomona and Brentwood Park areas, said some communities had also been without water since Monday, December 15, while surrounding areas such as Glen Marais and Kempton Park had already been restored.

“This is a serious health risk,” she said, adding that residents felt communication from their ward councillor had been inadequate.

Residents are now calling on the City of Ekurhuleni to provide clear answers on whether Bonaero Park was deliberately isolated as part of system balancing, what reservoir levels were during the outage, why the interruption was communicated as maintenance, and what measures were taken to ensure minimum water access during the disruption.

They have also asked what long-term steps will be taken to prevent Bonaero Park from repeatedly being among the last areas to have water restored, a pattern residents say has persisted for years.

In an update shared on December 17, Ward 23 councillor Gerald Goslin said water had still not returned to all affected areas as expected and that feedback from the department remained limited.

Goslin said he had again requested that a team be dispatched to investigate why only some areas had water while others remained without supply.

He added that he had also asked the department for a detailed outline of corrective measures, including checks for leaks, monitored updates of reservoir levels, and the possible deployment of an emergency response team to assist with restoration.

The Kempton Express has requested comment from the City of Ekurhuleni regarding the water situation in all affected areas.